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a 


TIIKOUOII 


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Travels,  Sight-seeing,  and  Adyenture 


ET 


LAND  AND  SEA 


IX  THE 


FAR  WEST  AND  FAR  EAST. 

By  Ji.    ^  p.   p.   jiooK. 

1^  ir\ 


OVER    300   ORIGIIVAL    E1VGI1A.VINGS. 


PUB1_1CHED     OY     GUDOCRIPTION     ONUY. 


HARTFORD,  CONN., 

coLXJi^Bi^isr    book:    ooiv^F^nsrir 

BLISS   &   CO.,   NEWAUK,   N.  J.:    F.    DEWING   &   CO.,   SAN    FUANXISCO. 
"W.  E.   IJLISS,   TOLEDO,  OUIO  :   ANCHOU  rURLISIIING   CO.,   ST.  LOUIS,   MO. 

1S7G. 


Enteked  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1875,  hj 

THE  COLUMBIAN  BOOK  COMPANY, 
in  the  office  of  Librarian  of  Congress  at  Washington,  D.  C. 


PREFATORY. 

This  Book  is  one  of  the  unforeseen  and  iinpremcditated 
consequences  of  a  series  of  travels  by  land  and  sea  toward 
the  setting  sun,  initiated  by  a  rambling  excursion  to  the 
plains  and  mountains  of  Colorado,  and  continued  by  alter- 
nate journeyings  and  sojournings  until  the  starting  point 
was  again  reached  and  a  trip  around  the  world  had  been 
accomplished.  In  preparing  it,  we  have  attempted  to  de- 
scribe some  of  the  interesting  objects  whicli  we  saw,  and 
to  record  the  novel  incidents  and  personal  adventures  which 
came  within  our  observation  or  experience. 

The  routes  by  which  we  traveled  took  us  over  the  waters 
of  the  Pacific,  Indian,  and  Atlantic  Oceans  ;  the  China,  Ara- 
bian, and  Red  Seas ;  the  Gulf  of  Siam  ;  the  Bay  of  Bengal ; 
the  Straits  of  Malacca;  and  the  channels  of  the  Japanese 
and  East  Indian  Islands.  Japan,  China,  Farther  India,  Ma- 
laya, Ceylon,  Arabia,  Egypt,  Sicily,  Italy,  and  other  coun- 
tries were  visited ;  and  in  most  of  them  ample  time  was 
taken  for  sight-seeing  and  observation. 

It  may  be  proper  to  add  that  our  travels  were  undertaken 
solely  for  j^leasure,  and  in  that  point  of  view  were  a  suc- 
cess— a  greater  one  than  we  can  expect  our  book  will  be. 
Still,  we  have  been  agreeably  entertained  and  fought  many 
of  our  battles  over  again  M'hile  reading  the  proof-slieets ; 
and  we  have  become  interested  in  the  pictures — deeply  so 
in  those  wherein  are  delineated 

THE  AUTHORS. 


M'^M 


■m^ 


i{U.§Y%}^^J^ 


105  NASSA 


iSAUST    N.Y.    ~^^V^^ 


O 

1.  The  Land  of  the  Pyramids, 

2.  College  Nights 

3.  Bachelors  of  Art, 

4.  "  Bl-ffalo  !  " 

5.  Toting  Him  Out, 

6.  The  Bachelor's  Welcome,      .        .        .        , 

7.  The  Colorado  Sphynx,  .... 

8.  A  Narrow  Escape,  ..... 

9.  A  Bloody  Reception,  .... 

10.  Sunday  Recreations, 

11.  Fully  Convinced, 

12.  Monument  Rocks, 

13.  Invjtinj  A  Treat,         .        .        ;        . 

14.  Indian  Squaws  on  the  Hunt, 

15.  Adventure  with  Wild  Cattle  of  the  Plains, 

16.  A  "Foul"  Dinner, 

17.  A  Night  in  the  Woods,         .... 

18.  Summit  of  Gray's  Peak-Colorado, 

19.  A  Mutual  Scare, 

20.  Novel  Descent  from  the  Mountain, 

21.  Slam  and  his  Buyer,  .... 

22.  Ecstatic  Passengers, 

23.  Mountain  Flora, 

24.  The  Serpent  of  the  Mountains, 

25.  Salt  Lake  Apostles,  .... 

26.  A  Row  ON  THE  Lake,         .         .         .         .         . 

27.  The  Gem  of  the  Mountains, 

28.  Ready  for  the  Plunge, 


Frontispiece 


PAGE 

18 

19 

20 

22 

24 

25 

27 

30 

31 

32 

33 

36 

39 

40 

42 

46 

49 

51 

57 

64 

67 

68 

69 

71 

74 

75 

79 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


29.  Caleb's  Race-course, 

30.  Crossing  the  Fkrry, 

31.  Bound  for  the  Valley, 

32.  Caleb  Taking  the  Veil, 

33.  WoMANs'  Rights  Advancing, 

34.  Above  the  Falls, 

35.  Watching  THE  Camp-fire, 

36.  Caleb's  Perilous  Descent,    . 

37.  "  Quite  Showery," 

38.  The  Rescue, 

39.  Around  the  Log-fire, 

40.  YosEMiTE  Valley, 

41.  The  Brothers, 

42.  Counting  in  the  Gold, 

43.  The  Stool-pigeon, 

44.  "  Here  I  Am   again  !  "    . 

45.  Bachelors'  Hall, 

46.  Bound  for  Japan, 

47.  "  Only  a  Ripple,  Sir  !  " 

48.  Casting  Bread  upon  the  Waters, 

49.  A  Steerage  Passenger's  first  Dive, 

50.  A  Trying  Time, 

51.  A  Queue-rious  Separation, 

52.  Going  Ashore  at  Yokohama, 

53.  A  Fore-runner  of  Civilization, 

54.  The  Great  Oriental  Express, 

55.  India-rubber  Boys, 

56.  New  Japan,  .... 

57.  Native  Sweetmeats,  . 

58.  Foreign  Sauce,       .... 

59.  A  SMALL  Water-party, 

60.  Approach  to  the  Japanese  Metropolis, 

61.  Dinner  at  Yeddo, 

62.  A  Bootless  Visit, 

63.  Before  the  High  and  Mighty, 

64.  A  Japanese  Temple, 

65.  The  latest  Innovation, 

66.  The  Widow's  Mite, 

67.  Touch  and  Be  Healed,    . 

68.  "Getting  Used  to  Ii," 

69.  Wildair's  Warriors;, 

70.  Wildair  A3  A  Geographer, 

71.  Social  Equality  Illustrated, 

72.  Old  Japan, 

73.  The  Pirates'  Doom, 

74.  Stbeet  Scene  in  Hong  kong, 


80 

82 

84 

So 

86 

87 

88 

80 

91 

93 

96 

100 

103 

104 

107 

108 

112 

115 

119 

120 

124 

126 

127 

129 

133 

134 

137 

139 

142 

143 

144 

M6 

148 

149 

151 

153 

155 

156 

158 

161 

162 

1G3 

164 

165 

167 

171 


VI 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


*75.  Startino  up  the  Leader,        .... 

V6.  A  Down  Grade, 

11.  Abating  a  Nuisanc*;, 

78.  Street  Gamblers,  

19.  The  Opium  Smoker  and  his  Wife, 

80.  Amusing  the  Natives,  ..... 

81.  A  Bakbarous  Barber, 

82.  A  Study  of   Hats 

83.  Chinese  Mistress  and  Maid,     .... 

84.  Sidewalk  Artisans — HoNti  Kong, 

85.  A  Policeman  and  his  Victim, 

86.  Our  first  Rat-soup,  •         .        .         .        , 
81.  Opium  Smuggling— Canton  River, 

88.  Ploughing  like  his  Father, 

89.  Agricultural  Scene— China, 

90.  The  Guardian  Pagoda,  .... 

91.  "Rock  ME  to  Sleep  Mother," 

92.  An  Attack  in  the  Rear, 

93.  The  Gentle  Rower, 

94.  Improvements  on  the  Race,  .... 

95.  A  FIRST  class  Rat-seller,  .... 

96.  The  Gutter  Snipe — Canton,  .... 

97.  A  Covered  Street  of  Canton, 

98.  Poking  Fun  at  Him,  

99.  "  They  Seemed  to  like  it,"       .... 

100.  "  The  Grim  Iron  Barrier  Prevented  our  Egress,' 

101.  The  mysterious  Box, 

102.  Priest  with  Alms-box. 

103.  A  long-nosed  Ancestor,  .... 

104.  A  Pig-tail  Excitement 

105.  A  DiONiFiED  Chinaman,  .... 

106.  Specimens  of  Architecture — Canton, 

107.  Before  the  Throne, 

108.  A  Chinese  Mandarin,  

109.  More  Ornamental  than  Useful, 

110.  Third-class  Passengers  at  Dinner, 

111.  Our  State  room  Visitors,  .... 

112.  "The  Captain  frequently  ITovered  near  Them," 

113.  The  Banks  of  the  Saigon— Farther  India, 

114.  Native  Boats 

115.  Assaulted  by  Amazons,  .... 

116.  An  Adventure  in  the  Dark,  .... 

117.  "  Your  Foot  VERY  SMALL,"         .... 

118.  A  Siamese  Prince, 

119.  An  An  am  Aristocrat, 


173 

175 

177 

179 

180 

182 

184 

186 

187 

188 

189 

193 

195 

198 

199 

201 

202 

204 

205 

207 

208 

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211 

214 

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217 

219 

220 

221 

223 

224 

225 

227 

228 

232 

235 

236 

237 

238 

239 

242 

244 

246 

249 

251 


Wife 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 

120.  Deck  Amcsemints — Gulf  of  Si  am, 

121.  Dot  Wins  THE  Night, 

122.  A  Meteoric  Shower, 

123.  Diving  from  the  Ship's  Deck, 

124.  On  the  Road  to  Singapore, 

125.  "HeIs  HUNGRT,"  .... 

126.  "Go  IT  YOU  Cripplk,"     , 

127.  Boat  life  in  Malay, 

128.  A  Burial  in  the  Bay  of  Bengal, 

129.  The  sick  Frenchman  and  his  Chinese 

130.  A  Princess  of  Malay, 

131.  Odb  Ceylon  Pilot  and  his  Boat, 

132.  An  Insulted  "  Guide," 

133.  One  of  our  Passengers, 

134.  Ceylon  Jugglers — Mysterious  Balls, 

135.  "Many  of  Them  Improved  Surprisingly 

136.  Ceylon  a  Fraud,     .        ,        .        . 

137.  Initiating  a  Candidate,     . 

138.  Running  for  Life, 

139.  An  Lsdian  Mosque — Taj  Mahal, 

140.  A  Brahmin  Devotee, 

141.  A  Fight  in  the  Jungle, 

142.  Fun  on  Deck — Arabian  Sea, 

143.  Heads  and  Tails — A  Scene  at  Aden, 

144.  Eggs-traordinart, 

145.  A  Melting  in  the  Desert, 

146.  Fruits  of  Competition — A  Scene  on  the  D 

147.  A  Stiff-necked  Egyptian, 

148.  Lost  in  Cairo,       .... 

149.  Hard  on  the  Donkeys, 

150.  Entrance  to  the  Great  Pyramid, 

151.  Plan  OF  the  Interior, 

152.  The  Grand  Gallery,     . 

153.  A  hard  Goose  to  Pick, 

154.  Morning  Recreations, 

155.  Bed-time  Exercises, 

156.  A  Touching  Scene, 

157.  Return  of  the  Hunter, 

158.  A  MIGHTY  Archer, 

159.  Scbtehranean  Hall  of  the  Bulls, 

160.  Doe  AND  Fawn 

161.  TRAN>roRriNG  A  "  God," 

162.  Yankee  Pyramid-builders, 

163.  Ruins  on  the  Nile,      .    . 

164.  Egyptian  High  Art,      .   . 


esert. 


Vll 

253 

254 

256 

257 

259 

261 

262 

266 

268 

269 

270 

271 

274 

275 

277 

279 

281 

282 

283 

288 

290 

293 

297 

299 

301 

306 

307 

309 

310 

311 

317 

818 

319 

325 

326 

326 

327.' 

828 

329 

331 

333 

334 

335 

338 

839 


Vlll 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


THE 


165.  Mummy-case,      .... 

166.  Street  Scenk  in  Alexandria, 

167.  Cleopatra's  Bath, 

168.  Cleopatra's  Needles, 

169.  Pompey's  Pillar, 

170.  Wiluair  Expresses  an  Opinion, 

171.  A  Strike  on  the  High  Seas, 

172.  The  Shores  of  Italy, 

173.  A  Colorado  Ghost, 

174.  "  Take  Him  out," 

175.  An  afflicted  Neopolitan, 

176.  Bacchanalian  Dance,  . 

177.  Mutual  Rpxognition, 

178.  Three  Young  Ladies  of  Naples, 

179.  Tunnel  at  Naples, 

180.  Enticing  a  Victim, 

181.  Eesult  of  Paying  off  the  Boys, 

182.  Dissatisfied  Damsels, 

183.  Hercclaneum — The  Theatp-e, 

184.  '  Our  Horses  Were  fiery,  and  We  Gave  Them 

185.  "  Our  Assailants  soon  Lost  their  Legs," 

186.  "I  Let  My  House  out  a  little," 

187.  The  Great  CATASTRorHE 

188.  Excavated  Street  of  To.mds — Pomteii, 

189.  A  Warning  to  Burglars,  .... 

190.  The  Tragic  Theatre, 

191.  A  Sudden  Stop,  ...... 

192.  Arches  OF  Ancient  Rome, 

193.  A  Drive  through  Rome,      .... 

194.  The  Procession  of  Trajan,     . 

195.  Ruins  of  Caracalla's  Baths, 

196.  "  We  Shuddered  as  WE  went  along," 

197.  "They  Kiss  the  Toe  of  St.  Peter's  Statue," 

198.  The  Sacred  Steps,  .        .        . 

199.  The  Old  Man's  Pet. 

200.  "  A  Wild-looking  Man  with  a  Cudgel  in  his  Hand,' 

201.  Our  funny  Fellow-passenger, 

202.  Imperialism  at  A  Discount, 

203.  Park  and  Fountain  at  Versailles, 

204.  London  Beggary,    .... 

205.  Among  the  Roughs, 

206.  Going  to  hear  Spurgeon, 

207.  A  tipsy  Emigrant  Going  Below, 

208.  A  Dance  on  Deck 

209.  A  President  and  a  President-maker, 
And  Other  Smaller  Enoratings. 


Rein, 


341 

343 

344 

345 

346 

348 

349 

352 

357 

360 

363 

364 

367 

368 

370 

371 

374 

377 

380 

382 

383 

385 

388 

389 

392 

393 

395 

396 

399 

403 

408 

411 

414 

415 

429 

430 

433 

436 

438 

441 

443 

445 

461 

453 

456 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER    I. 
THE    START   WESTWARD. 

College  Days  Being  Ended,  Caleb  and  Wildair  Start  out  on  Their  Travels — 
Westward  Ho  ! — Scenes  on  the  Plains — "  Buffalo  ! " — The  Rendezvous  at 

Denver — "  Yonder  Goes  Caleb  " — Caleb  and  His  Ponies 11 

CHAPTER  II. 
WANDERINGS    IN   COLORADO. 

Among  the  Herders  of  the  Plain — A  Magic  Valley — Pleasant  Park— The 
Bachelor's  Welcome—"  Tewat,"  the  Old  Man  of  the  Mountain— Bear- 
Rock — Purgatory  River — A  Squirrel  Hunt — Treeing  the  Game — Wildair 
Perplexed — The  old  House  by  the  Roadside — The  Hopkinses —  A  Bloody 
Reception — A  Sunday  Bear-hunt — Among  the  Prairie  Dogs — The  Gardens 

of  the  Gods — Monument  Creek — Double   Falls 23 

CHAPTER  III. 
LIFE    ON   THE   FRONTIER. 

Lively  Experiences  of  a  Circuit  Preacher — Along  the  Arkansas  River — The 
Romance  of  Hardship — Las  Animas  City — Fort  Lyons — The  Sunset  Gun 
— A  mixed  Congregation — Stove-pipe  Hats  at  a  Discount — Indian  Wives 
of  White  Men — War  between  the  Utes  and  the  Plain  Indians — Visit  to  an 
Indian  Camp — The  Squaws  Institute  a  Search — Dreary  Solitude — Encoun- 
ter with  Texan  Cattle — A  Lady's  Experiences  in  Colorado — Kind  young 
Bachelors — A  "  Foul "  Dinner — Proposals  of  Marriage — A  reformed 
Bachelor — Bound  for  the  Mountains — Petrified  Stumps — A  Night  in  the 
Woods — Fire-works — In  the  South  Park — Mining  Camps 35 

CHAPTER    IV. 
ASCENT   OF    gray's   PEAK-IN   A   HORN. 

Up  the  dark  Gorge— The  Quartz  Mills  by  Night — A  Midnight  Halt — A 
Bivouac  among  the  Willows — Approach  of  Daylight — Sunrise — In  the 
dense  Forests — A  mutual  Scare — Ascent  of  the  Peak — Mysterious  Tracks 
— Suspicions  of  Grizzlies — Wildair's  Pepper-box — On  the  Summit — The 
Continental  Divide — Novel  Descent — At  the  Foot —  Cities  in  the  Wil- 
derness—Slam and  his  Slanderers — The  Town  "  Busted  " — Wildair's 
Eide — Slam  and  his  Buyer — Final  Catastrophe 49 


X  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER    V. 
WESTWARD   BY   KAIL. 

A  Wanderer — Palace  Cars — At  Cheyenne — Mountain  Flowers — The  highest 
Altitude— The  Laramine  Plains— The  North  Platte— The  Continental 
Divide — Green  River — The  City  of  the  Saints — A  Sunday  in  the  Taberna- 
cle— Salt  Lake  Apostles — Excursion  to  Lake  Tahoe — Donner  Lake — The 

Sierra  Nevada — Sacramento    Valley 66 

CHAPTER    VL 
A   FLIRTATION   AMONG   THE   BIG   TREES. 

The  San  Joaquin  Valley — Mariposa — A  pleasing  Arrangement — Wildair 
Falls  in  Love — Incidents  of  the  Ride — Ready  for  the  Plunge — Down  Grade 
— Caleb's  Race-course — The  Ancient  Couple — A  startling  Disclosure — 
Crest-fallen 76 

CHAPTER    VIL 
SIGHT-SEEING   IN   YOSEMITE. 

Bound  for  the  Valley — Caleb's  Night  Ride — At  Bridal  Veil — Moonrise 
—A  Climb  Upwards— Above  the  Falls—"  I  Won't  Go  Home  Till  Morning  " 
— Caleb's  Camp-fire — Night  Adventures — Perilous  Descent 83 

CHAPTER    VHL 
A   CLEVIB   OUT   OF   THE   VALLEY. 

"Quite  Slippery" — Vernal  Falls — Interviewing  a  "Guide" — His  Warning 
Voice — Resolve  to  Visit  Glacier  Rock — Up  the  Gorge — A  Perilous  Situa- 
tion— Holding  on  for  Life — The  Rescue — "  Where  is  Caleb  ?  " — Found  at 
Last — Return  of  the  Wanderers — Around  the  Log-fire 90 

CHAPTER    IX. 

EXPERIENCES   IN   SAN   FRANCISCO. 

Looking  for  Caleb's  Denver  Friend — A   Fruitless  Search — A  thrilling  Nar- 
>  rative — Miners  and  Their  Burdens — The  obliging  Stranger — "  Let's  Have 
a  Drink" — The  Stool-pigeon — "Plodding  Joe's"  Discovery — Inquest  and 
Verdict—"  Ben  Butler  "  at  Home 99 

CHAPTER    X. 
FIRE   AND   BRIMSTONE. 

Visit  to  the  Geysers — The  Witches'  Chaldron — The  Laboratory  of  Nature — 
Bachelors'  Hall — Santa  Rosa  Valley — Petaluma — The  Coast  Ranges Ill 

CHAPTER    XL 
POETRY   OF   THE    OCEAN. 

Arrival  of  a  Japan  Steamer — Good-Bye  to  San  Francisco — Bound  for  the 
Orient — Conversations  with  the  Pilot — Rough  on  Wildair — We  Are  not 
"Sea-sic-hic"— Scenes  at  Sea— Meeting  a  Steamer— " All's  Well"— 
The  "America " 114 


CONTENTS.  3d 

CHAPTER  XII. 
A   VOYAGE    ON    THE    PACIFIC. 

A  Seaman's  Tarn— Chinese  Passengers  inaStorm — Offerings  to  the  "Gods" 
— An  Eccentric  Calendar — A  Trying  Time— From  Gay  to  Grave — Adrift 
at  Sea — Land  of  the  Rising  Sun— Anchor  in  Yeddo  Bay — Japan  at  Last.  123 

CHAPTER  XIIL 
SIGHT-SEEING    IN   JAPAN. 

Going  Ashore  at  Yokohama— Pleasant  Scenes— Musical  Japanese — Are 
They  Men  or  Women  ?— An  economical  Dodge — A  Tea  Party  in  the 
Suburbs— Paper  Butterflies— India-rubber  Boys— The   Sensible   Mikado 

—A  Strange  Upstart 130 

CHAPTER  XIV. 
A  COUNTRY  KIDE  TO  YEDDO. 

Four  wicked  Ponies — Our  tattooed  Runner — Japanese  Farmers — Tea  Houses 
—Pretty  Waiter  Girls— Native  Refreshments— American  Ingratitude— 
A  Young  Ladies'  Bathing  Party— Approach  to  Yeddo— In  the  Great  City 

—Dinner  at  Yeddo — Wildair's  Encounter  with  Burglars HO 

CHAPTER  XV. 
THROUGH  THE  TEMPLES. 

The  Forest  Parks  of  Yeddo— Imposing  Tombs— Massive  Gates,  and  shaven 
Priests— Pompous  Ornamentations— Up  the  shining  Stairs— An  august 
Object— Solemn  Ceremony— The  Deserted  Palace— Two-sworded  Retain- 
ers—The chief  Temple — The  Widow's  Mite— The  Altar  and  the  Priests 
— Ghastly  Pictures— The  "  God  of  the  Smokers  "—The  Goddess  of  Mercy — 
"Touch  and  Be  Healed"— St.  Francis  Xavier  the  first  Missionary  to 
Japan — The    early    Christians— Massacre    of   Priests — Japanese  Exiles.  150 

CHAPTER  XVL 
SOCIAL    PROGRESS   IN   JAPAN. 

An  American  Bride  in  Yeddo — "  Getting  Used  to  It" — Japanese  Seclusion 
— Commodore  Perry's  Visit  and  the  Result — Western  Ways  in  the  Ascend- 
ant— Foreign  Teachers — A  model  School  System — Liberty  of  the  Press 
— Downfall  of  the  Aristocracy— The  Birth-right  of  Twenty  Centuries  Ab- 
dicated— Condescension  of  the   Mikado — A  new  Holiday 160 

CHAPTER    XVIL 

FROM   JAPAN   TO   CHINA. 

A  Voyage  along  the  Coast — White-sailed  Fishing  Junks— Terraced  Mount- 
ains— Fortifications — An  enchanting  Scene — Volcanoes — Rendezvous  of 
Pirates — Fate  of  the  Deceived  Pirates — Chinese  Fishermen — The  Typhoon 
— Approach  to  Hong  Kong — The  Signal  Gun — At  Anchor — Sampans  and 
their  Inmates — Broken  China — Importuned  by  Sprightly-looking  Girls — 
Rowed  Ashore  by  the  fair  Sex — How  they  Paddled  ! — A  Scramble  at  the 
Landing — The  Girls  Beaten  back  and  the  Chairmen  Triumphant 166 


Xll  CONTEXTS. 

CHAPTER    XVIII. 
ADVENTURES    IN    HONG  KONG. 

Some  Things  We  Liked — Chairs  and  Charioteers — An  Excursion — Results  of 
Starting  up  the  Leader — English  Convicts— Government  Gardens — Chinese 
Washermen — A  down  Grade — A  nice  Trick — An  Astonished  Celestial — 

— Our  Chairman's  Revenge — An  uncharitable  Landlord IVO 

CHAPTER.  XIX. 
MORE  ADVENTURES  IN  HONG  KONG. 

Caleb's  Rashness— Gamblers — The  Curse  of  the  Country — Among  the 
Opium  Smokers — The  faithful  Wife — Smoking-houses — Imitative  Natives 
— Bridget's  Story — Cutting  a   Swarth — A  Perfect  Scare-crow 178 

CHAPTER    XX. 

THE   LAST   OF    HONG   KONG. 

Chinese  Fashions — About  the  Women — Street  Scenes— Policemen— Funerals 
— Processions — Weddings — Dinner  at  a  Restaurant — A  Suspicious  Dish 
— The  Mystery  Solved — Caleb  Excited— "A  mean,  dirty  Swindle" 185 

CHAPTER  XXL 
UP  THE  CANTON  RIVER. 

Opium  Smuggling — A  Detective — Dilapidated  Forts — Reminisences  of  War 
— Agricultural  Scenes — Guardian  Pagodas — Approach  to  Canton — Junks 
and  Sampans — Xo  Buoys  for  Girl-babies — At  Anchor — Beleaguered  Pas- 
sengers— Female  Hotel-runners — Wildair  Surrenders — An  Attack  in  the 
Rear — Rescued  by  Our  bright-eyed  Captor 194 

CHAPTER    XXIL 
CANTON. 

Seven  Chinese  Girls — Semi-celestials — Connoisseurs  of  Chinese  Beauty — 
The  Foreign  Suburbs — Native  Ladies — A  Festival — A  Floating  City  by 
Night — Rides  about  Canton — Native  Industries — Inhuman  Punishments 
— Caged  Men — On  the  Great  Wall — Tartar  Soldiers — Belated — Canton  at 
Night— Locked  Within  the  Gates— Final  Escape 206 

CHAPTER    XXIIL 
AMONG   THE    CHINESE    GODS. 

The  Mysterious  Box — The  Chinese  Religion — Priests — Ancestral  Worship — 
Superstitious  Customs — Buddhi?m — Sacred  Swine — The  God  of  Longevity 
—Temple  of  the  Dragon— A  Heli  less  God 213 

CHAPTER    XXIV. 
THE   EMPIRE   OF   THE  CELESTIALS. 

General  Features — Canals — Inland  Commerce — The  Emperor  and  his  Wives 
—The  Mandarins— Soldiers— Tartars— The    Coolie  Trade 226 


CONTENTS.  Xiii 

CHAPTER    XXV. 
OVER  THE   CniNA    SEA   TO    FARTHER   INDIA. 
Life  on  a  French  Steamer— Third-class   Passengers— The   pretty   German 
Girl — State-room  Visitors — Handsome   French   Ladies — Scandal  on  Ship- 
board— Up  the  Saigon  Eiver 233 

CHAPTER    XXVL 

FUN    AND    ADVENTURE   AT    SAIGON. 

A  dismal  Prospect— Disembarkation  of  Soldiers — Going  Ashore— Droll 
Encounter  in  the  Suburbs — Dot  a  Prisoner — Escape  from  Amazons — 
Saigon  by  Night — An  Adventure  in  the  Dark — Hasty  Retreat — "  Pulling 
on  ze  leetle  Shoe" — A  Note  for  Mademoiselle — Siamese  Customs — The 
Brahmins — Temples    of   Siam 240 

CHAPTER    XXVII. 
VOYAGE  TO    THE    LAND    OF    THE   MALAYS. 

Morning  on  Deck — Airy  Costumes — Amusements — Playing  "Frog"  and 
"  Log  " — Caleb's  Promenade — Dot's  Troubles — The  Malay  Peninsula — A 
Swimming  Tiger — Singapore    Harbor — Malayan  Divers 252 

CHAPTER    XXVIIL 
EXCURSIONS   IN    SINGAPORE, 

A  Drive  to  the  City — Scenes  on  the  Road — Among  the  Malays — At  the 
Mercy  of  Jehu — A  hungry  Horse — A  Malayan  Arena — Jehu  Prepares  for 
a  Storm — His  Garments  Overboard — Mysterious  Dogs — An  abominable 
Swindle — Among  the  Monkeys — Boat-life  in  Malay 258 

CHAPTER    XXIX. 

Ceylon's  isle. 

In  the  Bay  of  Bengal — Nicobar  Islands — A  Burial  at  Sea — The  French- 
man's Oriental  Wife — A  genuine  Princess — "  Spicy  Breezes" — The  City  of 
Point  De  Gallc — The  Pilot  and  his  Boat — A  dazzling  Display — At  Anchor 
— An  Excursion  on  Shore — A  brazen-faced  Intruder — Tricks  of  the  Trade 
— An  Insulted  Runner — Guide  or  no  Guide  ? — Buying  Parrots 267 

CHAPTER    XXX. 
RAMBLES    IN    AND   AROUND   CEYLON. 

The  Forts — Sidewalk  Jugglers — A  Traveling  Menagerie — Cinnamon  Gardens 
and  Cocoanut  Groves — Remarkable  Cripples — Adam's  Peak — Impudent 
Rascals — Ceylon  a  Fraud 276 

CHAPTER    XXXL 
EASTERN    CIVILIZATION THE    BRAHMINS. 

EfiFects  of  Western  Ideas — In  the  Temples — The  Mysteries  of  Priesthood — 
A  Religion  of  Caste 284 


Xiv  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER    XXXII. 
OVER   THE   ARABIAN    AND   RED   SEAS. 

The  Journey  Resumed — Veteran  Bear-hunters — A  Storm  at  Sea — Fun  on 
Deck — The  Doctor's  Pranks — Araby  the  Blest — A  Town  in  a  Crater — 
Sight-seeing  in  Aden — Wonderful  Eggs — A  gulled  Gull — Mecca — Mt. 
Sinai— Suez 292 

CHAPTER    XXXIII. 

GETTING   ACQUAINTED   WITH    EGYPT. 
Lazy  Arabs — Moses'  Well — An  Evening  at  Suez — Rolling  over  the  Desert — 
Caravans — Egypt's  new  River — Scenes  on  the  Desert — Cairo — A  Stiff- 
necked  Race — An  Oriental  Paradise — A  Beauty  Unyeiled — Hard  on  the 
Donkeys 302 

CHAPTER    XXXIV. 
A   VISIT   TO    THE    PYRAMIDS. 

The  Guide  and  Donkeys — The  Arabs  of  the  Pyramids — "  Beware  of  Your 
Pockets  " — On  the  Summit  of  Cheops — A  tempting  Proposal — "  Old 
Traditional" — Down  in  a  Dungeon — Pharaoh's   Telescope — The  Grand 

Gallery — Who  Carried  oflF  the  King  and  Queen  ? — Ruins  of  Memphis 312 

CHAPTER    XXXV. 
SIGHT-SEEING    UNDER   GROUND. 

A  Visit  to  the  Catacombs — Immense  Excavations — Old  Ben  Hassan — Weak 
young  Ladies — A  mighty  Archer — A  Memento  and  its  Fate — An  Egyptian 
Swindle 324 

CHAPTER    XXXVI. 

THE   LANGUAGE   OF   THE   MONOIENTS. 

The  Obelisks — An  Ancient  City — The  Papyrus  Manuscripts — Early  Picture- 
writing — Ingenious  Lexicographers — Egyptian  High  Art 334 

CHAPTER     XXXVII. 
THE   VESTIBULE    OF    THE    OLD   WORLD. 

Alexandria — Street  Scenes — Donkeys  and  Camels— Mementos  of  Cleopatra 
— Pompey's  Palace  and  Pillar — Manufactured  Relics — Imperial  Tombs — 
Unpleasant  Experiences — Beseiged  by  extortionate  Arabs — Demoralized 
Baggage — Detained  by  Force — A  Strike  on  the  High  Seas— Wildair  Quells 

a  Mutiny — Escape  from  Enemies — A  parting  Curse 342 

CHAPTER    XXXVIII. 
FROM   EGYPT   TO    SICILY    AND   ITALY. 

Farewell  to  Africa — A  peaceful  Sea— First  View  of  Italy— Up  the  Straits  of 
Messina — On  thelslandof  Sicily— The  Evening  Bells  of  Messina— Mount 
JFAna. — Stromboli,  the  Light-house  of  the  Mediterranean — Aboard  an 
Italian  Steamer — Along  the  Italian  Shores — Picturesque  Mountains — 
ElevatedHouses— BayofNaples— A  sleepy  Landlord— A  Colorado  Ghost.  S5I 


CONTENTS. 


XT 


CHAPTER  XXXIX. 
NAPLES. 
Impoliteness  to  a  "  Guide" — Sunday  in  Naples — The  Church  of  San  Martino 
— Visit  to  the  Great  Cathedral — Story  of  Saint  Januarius — Public  Exhibi- 
tion of  Miracles — Beautiful  Statuary  and  Paintings — Sights  on  the  Street 
— Wax-work  Miracles — Visit  to  the  Bourbon  Museum — Objects  of  Interest 
— An    Ecclesiastical  Procession — A    Stroll    through    the   City — Three 

young  Ladies 359 

CHAPTER    XL. 
WONBEKS    OF    THE   COAST   WEST   OF    NAPLES. 

TheVillaReale— The  Grotto  of  Porilipo— Tomb  ofVirgil— The  Dog's  Grotto 
— Cruel  Tourists — Pozzuoli  or  Ancient  Puteoli — Steps  where  St.  Paul  Land- 
ed— Ruins  of  the  Amphitheatre — The  Temple  of  Serapis — Boat-fights 
of  Gladiators — A  big  Scramble — Cicero's  Villa — Lake  Lucrine — The  Ruins 

of  Baiffi— A  Temple  of  Venus— Dancing  Girls 369 

CHAPTER  XLL 
nERCULANEUM  AND  VESUVIUS. 
Descent  to  the  Buried  City— Hidden  for  Eighteen  Centuries— Wondrous 
Relics  of  by-gone  Ages— Bound  for  Mt.  Vesuvius— Reminiscences  of  the 
Volcano— Abused  by  the  Guide—  A  Villainous  Assault— At  the  Foot  of 
the  Cone— Climbing  Upwards— Red-hot  Lava— At  the  Crater— A  hasty 
Retreat— Ride  down  the  Mountain— A  beautiful  Sight— Another  Swindle.  379 

CHAPTER  XLII. 
THE  BURIED  CITY  OF  POMPEII. 
A  dry  Storm— Approach  to  Pompeii— A  wayside  Inn  and  Its  Lodgers— 
Diomede's  Mansion— Serene  Sleepers— The  Tomb  of  a  Prize-fighter— The 
Welcoming  Inscription  "Salva"— Calls  at  the  old  Homesteads— Nobody 
at  Home— Inside  the  Houses— The  Forum  and  a  Dungeon— Grimy  Diggers 
—A  petrified  Burglar  Caught  in  the  Act— The  deserted  Stranger— The 

brave  Roman  Soldiers  Who  Scorned  to  Flee 387 

CHAPTER  XLIII. 
FROM   NAPLES   TO   ROME. 
Surprising  Charges— Railroad  Experiences— A  Blue-eyed  Wonder— A  Coun- 
try Station- An  old  Story— Peasant  Life— Italian  Sunset— First  View  of 

Rome— Model  Hackmen— Astounded  Foreigners— Sight-seeing 394 

CHAPTER  XLIV. 
AMID   THE   RUINS   OF  ROME. 
Descent  to  the  Forum— Reminiscences  of  Caisar- Scenes  of  Departed  Glory 
—Rome's  last  Conquest  Pictured  in  Stone— The  Coliseum  and  its  Scenes 
—The   Arch  of  Titus— Towering    Ruins— Nero's  Palace— The   ancient 
Etruscans  and  Their  Tombs ^^'- 


xvi  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XLV. 
THE    SPIRIT    OF    THE    ETERNAL    CITT. 

St.  Clement's  Subterranean  Church — St.  Paul's  Prison — The  Underground 
City  by  Torchlight — Ghastly  Scenes — Retreats  of  early  Christians  and 
later  Robbers — St.  Peter's  Cathedral — Scenes  within — The  Priests  and 
People — The  Scala  Sancta — The  Pope's  Palace — Ancient  Manuscripts.  410 

CHAPTER    XLVI. 
FLORENCE    AND    VENICE. 

Beautiful  llorence — A  Morning  Excursion — Slighted  by  the  Guard — Boboli 
Garden — An  ancient  Church — The  Palazzo  Vecchio — In  the  Museum — A 
remarkable  Bridge — Smoky  Tunnels — Approach  to  Venice — The  City  of 
the  Se.a — Looking  for  a  Carriage — A  Ride  in  a  Gondola — Crossing  the 
Grand  Canal — The  Piazza  and  St.  Mark's — The  Rise  and  Decline  of  Venice 
— Souvenirs   of  dreadful   Days 418 

CHAPTER  XLVIL 

OVER  THE  ALPS. 

Milan — Lake  Como  -An  Evening  by  the  Lake — Colico — A  lovely  Valley — 
Peasant  Life — Amid  the  Foot-hills — Scenes  by  the  "Way — At  the  Foot 
of  the  Alps — Lively  Times  at  a  Swiss  Village — Among  the  Vineyards — 
Singing  Girls — "Sour  Grapes  " — A  Start  up  the  Gorge — Torrents  and 
Waterfalls — Among  the  Clouds — A  Snow-storm  in  the  Mountains — On 
the  Summit — The  Descent — Zurich — An  Excursion  into  Germany 427 

CHAPTER    XLVIII. 
PARIS    AND   LONDON. 

Continental  Passports — Relics  of  Barbarism — Down-trodden  Paris — The 
Tuileries — Relics  of  Imperialism  at  Auction — An  American  Lady's  Bargains 
— Versailles,  Its  Parks,  Fountains,  and  Palaces — Lous  XIV  and  Madam  de 
Marntenon — Sleigh-riding  in  Summer — Country  Scdnes — Unbeaten  Beets 
— Holland  Canoes — Paddling  Peasants — London — Underground  Railroad 
—St.  Paul's— Westminster  Abbey— The  "Poets'  Corner"— The  British 
Museum — Assyrian  Account  of  the  Deluge — The  Crystal  Palace  by  Day 
and  Night — The  Great  Fire — Going  to  Hear  Spurgeon — London  Beggars — 
The  Lord  Mayor's  Show — Among  the  Roughs — Rescued  by  Policemen. .  435 

CHAPTER    XLXIX. 
ACROSS   THE   ATLANTIC. 

A  Separation — Wildair  Starts  Homeward  and  Takes  Passage  in  a  Liverpool 
Steamer  bound  forN.  Y. — Irish  Emigrants  Taken  on  Board  at  Qucenstown 
— Drunk,  or  very  Jolly — A  Look  into  the  Steerage — Going  Below — A 
tipsy  Bridegroom — Tin-ware  Falling — Asking  for  More — The  Lower  Depths 
— Evening  Entertainments — Ominous  Weather — A  fearful  Gale — Anxious 
Nights — The  Storm  Abates — Land  Ho  ! — Home  again  from  Foreign  Shores.  451 


o 

Q 

O 

O 


O 
O 


03 


CHAPTER  I. 
OFF  FOE  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

"TTTE  flung  our  liats,  our  "  sheep  skins  "  we  flaunted  in  air ; 
Y  T  our  college  days  were  ended  !  Many  a  time  we  had 
sat  over  our  Latin  and  Greek  as  the  rattling  cars  went  gallop- 
ing westward  over  the  prairies,  and  thought,  ere  our  lesson 
was  finished,  that  train  would  be  out  among  the  scampering 
buffalo  of  the  plains.  We  longed  to  be  there,  too  ;  but  those 
Greek  and  Latin  roots  bound  us  within  the  college  walls. 
These  were  glorious  studies,  and  even  to  this  day  I  recollect 
them  with  emotions  of  joy.  I  look  back  and  see  ourselves 
sitting  side  by  side  with  those  dear  old  books  on  the  table 
just  in  front,  nodding,  ever  nodding.  Now  we  were  stuck 
on  a  Greek  root,  and  after  long  and  weary  toil  Caleb  succeeded 
in  unwinding  its  entangling  flbres,  then  looked  round  exult- 
antly, but  only  to  And  me  asleep.  Poor  fellow,  it  was  a  lit- 
tle discouraging,  but  his  only  alternative  was  to  nudge  me  in 
the  side,  and  heavily  my  eyes  drew  open. 

Again  we  became  perplexed  over  some  hard  termination 
or  other,  and  of  course  I  passed  into  the  land  of  Nod.  That 
was  not  the  worst  of  it.  Upon  awaking,  instead  of  finding 
that  he  had  adjusted  the  difficulty,  it  was  only  to  perceive 
that  I  had  been  aroused  by  his  snoring.  It  was  my  time 
then  to  become  discouraged,  and  after  a  few  jerks  under  the 
short  ribs  with  my  elbow  he  was  brought  to  his  senses — not 
2  17 


18 


COLLEGE  DAYS. 


COLLEGE    NIGHTS. 


to  learn  that  I  had  solved  the  difficulty,  but  that  it  was  after 
midnight  and  we  must  go  to  bed  without  our  lessons. 

But  musty  Greek  roots  were  no  longer  to  coil  their  tangled 

meshes 
about  our 
minds; 
b  u  tf  a  1  o, 
dim  binjx 
m  o  u  n  - 
tains, 
storms 
at  sea,  vis- 
i  o  n  s  of 
Oriental 
climes,  ad- 
ventures, 
scares, 

activity,  life,  "  hip,  hip,  hurrah  !  " — such  things  as  these  were 
shooting  through  every  artery  of  our  being. 

Later  in  the  fall  Caleb,  being  rather  of  a  religious  turn  of 
mind,  went  out  upon  the  frontiers  of  Colorado  to  preach  till 
spring,  while  I  remained  at  home  reading  history  and  novels. 
We  completed  our  plans  through  correspondence  during  the 
winter — and  such  plans  as  were  occasionally  suggested!  They 
comprised  everything  this  side  the  moon. 

The  snowy  folds  of  winter  having  rolled  away,  green 
spring  was  beginning  to  smile  upon  the  earth ;  so  toward  the 
first  of  April,  1873,  I  was  off.  The  first  evening,  as  I  sat 
looking  out  into  the  darkness,  my  eyes  filled  with  tears,  for 
I  had  a  long,  hazardous  journey  before  me,  and  had  left 
friends  behind  to  whom  I  had  given  a  long,  and  it  might  be 
a  last  good-bye.  In  the  western  part  of  the  state  I  stopped 
a  few  days  among  friends  whom  I  had  not  seen  since  I 
started  for  college,  all  of  whom  greeted  me  kindly,  and  were 
anxious  to  have  me  tarry ;  but  I  must  on. 

So  I  jumped  into  the  fastest  train  and  was  soon  rolling 
down  between  breakers  into  the  Missouri  valley  at  Council 


RBC 
NcU 


TUE  MISSOURI  VALLEY. 


10 


BACHELORS    OF    ART. 


Bluffs.  As  far  as  the  eye  could  reach  up  and  down  this 
beautiful  valley  it  was  perfectly  level,  with  high  Lluft's,  from 
live  to  ten 
miles 
apart,  on 
either  side 
of  the 
Miss  ouri 
river.  Yes, 
here  was 
the  Mis- 
souri riv- 
er, so  black 
that  the 
dirt  seem- 
ed to  bub- 
ble up  to  be  carried  away  on  its  surface.  Yet  this  muddy 
stream  was  a  mighty  one,  extending  from  where  the  gulf's 
billoM's  ever  roll  and  roar,  to  where  the  earth's  tossed  billows 
rear  their  snow-capped  heads  above  the  clouds  like  breakers 
on  the  upper  deep.  Tracing  his  downward  course  from  his 
home  in  the  mountains  to  his  larger  home  in  the  ocean,  he 
creeps  along  gathering  strength,  until  angrily  he  throws  a 
coil  against  one  side  of  the  blufts  of  the  valley,  and  another 
against  the  opposite,  his  shifting  tides  in  turn  striking  every 
point  of  the  bluffs,  undermining  and  crumbling  them  down 
into  the  broad  extensive  valley  as  smooth  as  a  table. 

In  early  times  when  the  Indian  roamed  over  the  Missis- 
sippi valle}-,  an  exploring  party  under  Lewis  and  Clarke 
ascended  the  Missouri  in  skiffs,  and  crossed  the  mountains 
over  into  Oregon.  While  passing  near  Sioux  City,  Floyd, 
one  of  their  number,  died.  His  comrades  buried  him  on  the 
highest  bluff  they  saw,  and  erected  a  large  cedar  post  to 
his  memory,  think'mg  they  had  given  him  a  secure,  though  a 
solitary,  resting  place.  Many  a  time  the  Indian's  tomahawk 
chipped  that  cedar  post,  but  nothing  disturbed  the  sleeper's 
rest  till  one  of  the  shifting  coils  of  the  stream  attacked  this 


20 


SCENES  ON  THE  PLAINS. 


prominent  bluff,  undermining  where  the  quiet  sleeper  lay. 
His  remains  appearing  in  the  side  of  the  bluff  next  the  river, 
a  man  was  let  down  by  ropes  to  secure  them,  and  now  they 
are  resting  farther  back  upon  the  same  bluff,  to  sleep  on  till 
again  disturbed  by  this  unsatiated  stream,  or  awakened  by 
the  trump  of  God. 

But  westward  !  the  plains !  the  mountains !  the  Indians  ! 
the  new,  the  wild,  the  unexplored!  To  me  these  were 
thoughts  of  a  magic  charm,  impelling  me  onward  with  an 
electric  thrill .  Rolling  over  the  fertile  prairies  of  the 
Platte  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles,  then  shooting  like  an 
arrow  three  hundred  miles  more  across  a  placid  sea  of  green 
M'here  the  only  land-marks  were  the  wrecked  carcasses  of 
buffalo,  we  entered  a  half  barren  track  where  the  sand  ap- 


*'  BUFFALO  "  ! 

peared  between  the  bunches  of  buffalo  grass  from  eight  to 
ten  inches  apart — where  great  numbers  of  prairie  dogs  scam- 
pered to  their  holes  to  give  the  closing  scene  of  hind  legs 
and  tail  twinkling  in  air — where  droves  of  antelope  skimmed 


ALONG  THE  MOUNTAINS.  21 

the  prairie  away  from  the  approaching  train  until,  beyond 
clanger,  they  turned  upon  their  heels  to  stare  a  moment,  and 
then  unconcernedly  continue  their  grazing — -where  buffalo 
were  frequently  seen  in  the  distance,  but  always  proved  to 
be  a  knoll,  or  other  object,  upon  ajiproaching.  Now  a  gen- 
tleman exclaimed  "  butlalo !  buffalo !  "  All  rushed  to  the 
opposite  windows,  and  lo !  a  Thomas  sAvine  was  making  a 
sturdy  quick-step  along  the  track,  grunting  as  he  went. 

liolling  on  through  a  country  growing  rougher,  and  still 
more  so  toward  the  mountains,  passing  bluff's,  and  at  times 
apparent  islands  with  perpendicular  rockj'  sides,  rising  high 
above  the  level  country  around,  and  on  till  in  the  distance 
rose  up  the  snow-capped  mountains  dazzling  in  the  sunlight 
upon  the  canvas  of  white  clouds  beyond,  growing  closer  and 
closer  as  the  cars  wound  around  the  foot  hills  throuijh  snow 
fences  and  sheds,  the  train  halted  at  Cheyenne,  516  miles 
from  Omaha. 

Denver  was  110  miles  south,  and  I  changed  cars  to  soon 
be  shooting  along  from  fffteen  to  twenty  miles  from  the  foot 
of  the  mountains,  yet  apparently  much  closer.  Long's  Peak, 
fort}'  or  fifty  miles  to  the  right,  appeared  onlj'  a  few  iniles 
away,  while  Pike's  Peak,  eighty  miles  beyond  Denver,  seemed 
but  twenty  or  twenty-five  miles  distant. 

Tiie  country  along  the  track  was  somewhat  barren  and 
broken ;  we  occasionally  passed  a  valley  productive  by  irriga- 
tion, and  the  whole  was  a  fine  grazing  country.  Greeley  was 
in  a  rich  vallev  about' half  way  between  Chevenne  and  Den- 

t/  «y  «/ 

ver.  Its  many  ditches  told  of  irriijation,  and  evervthina: 
looked  new  and  flourishing.  On  toward  Denver  the  country 
was  smooth  and  ju'oductive,  and  thousands  of  cattle  roamed 
over  the  green  prairies. 

As  the  train  moved  up  to  the  depot  I  looked  out  for  Caleb, 
but  no  Caleb  M-as  there.  Kext  day,  when  in  the  post  office  I 
accidentally  raised  my  eyes  and  looked  out  into  the  street ; 
at  once  I  exclaimed  to  myself,  "  Yonder  goes  Caleb  !  "  The 
personage  in  the  street  rode  along  a  few  yards,  alighted,  and 
tied  his  ponies.     "While  doing  this  I  stepped  up  with  a  smile, 


22 


CALEB  AND  HIS  PONIES. 


put  out  my  hand,  "  How  are  you,  old  fellow."  Caleb  was 
taken  completely  by  surprise,  and  of  course  grinned  all  over. 

"  How  fleshy  you  are,  Caleb ;  Colorado  preaching  must 
agree  with  you." 

"Who  wouldn't  be  fleshy!  That  lazy  pony  would  afford 
exercise  for  a  professional  spurrer." 

"  Come  now,  don't  slander  that  pony ;  you  know  those 
dear  old  sistei's  have  been  pampering  you  on  Methodist 
chickens." 

"  I  am  but  too  sorry  those  dear  old  sisters,  as  you  call 
them,  left  their  chickens  in  the  States.  But,  by  the  way, 
Wildair,  I  brought  that  pony  along  for  you.     Now  you,  the 


TOIiNCi    II  I. M    OL'T. 


smaller,  jump  on  him  the  larger,  and  T,  the  larger,  will  jump 
on  this  one,  the  smaller,  and  we  will  be  oft'  for  the  livery." 

"  I  suppose  your  policy  in  riding  that  small  one  is  that 
upon  his  becoming  mired,  you  can  catch  the  pommel  of  the 
saddle,  carry  him  out  to  dry  land,  and  jog  along  without  hav- 
ing the  trouble  of  getting  off"  and  on." 

"  Mistaken ;  this  small  one  never  sticks,  and  he  can  beat 
the  M-orld  at  kicking.  Were  1  to  ride  that  one  he  would 
mire  sure,  and  my  only  alternative  would  be  to  get  a  long 
lever,  raise  one  of  his  ends,  jump  on  my  pony,  wrap  his  tail 
round  the  pommel  of  the  saddle,  and  tote  him  out ! " 


CHAPTEK  II. 
WANDEEmGS  IN  COLOEADO. 

LIKE  the  wild  herder  without  liome  save  his  pair  of 
blankets,  frying  pan,  cup  and  cofFee-pot,  and  without 
tent  save  the  sky  above  him,  we  mounted  our  saddles  for  a 
ride  through  the  plains  and  mountains  of  Colorado  ;  at  night, 
lying  down  beside  a  dry  pine  log  fire,  while  our  ponies 
grazed  their  fill  and  then  came  to  nod  and  sleep  in  the  camp 
light.  However,  if  some  cabin  about  sunset  seemed  design- 
edly thrown  in  our  way,  we  unceremoniously  unsaddled  and 
stopped  with  the  bachelors  for  the  night — that  is,  if  they 
were  not  all  away  from  home ;  in  that  case  we  modestly 
huilt  our  fire  outside,  though  herders  frequently  assumed  the 
duties  of  the  house  in  the  absence  of  the  inmates — perhaps 
having  supper  ready  when  they  returned. 

Our  first  few  days'  ride,  however,  was  not  out  on  the 
broad  plains  where  the  herder  tends  his  cattle  in  sight  of  vast 
droves  of  bufi^^^lo  ;  neither  was  it  in  the  narrow  mountain 
gorges  where  the  miner  in  the  foaming  stream  washes  out 
the  shining  metals — but  between  these  two  extremes,  where 
the  mountains  and  the  plains  met  in  embrace,  and  lau'rhinc 
streams  coursed  their  way  along  numerous  valleys.  Here  the 
herders  in  many  cases  had  wives,  comfortable  homes,  and 
small  farms  yielding  wonderful  crops.  They  did  not  ask  for 
the  rains  of  heaven,  but  looked  to  the  snow-capped  moun- 
tams,  whose  melting  waters  they  turned  from  their  natural 
channels  into  artificial  ditches,  winding  around  the  hill  sides 
or  along  the  borders  of  the  valleys. 


24 


A  MAGIC  VALLEY. 


About  half  way  from  Denver  to  Pike's  Peak  we  struck  a 
spur  of  the  mountains,  shooting  out  into  the  plain  and  divid- 
ing the  waters  of  the  Platte  from  those  of  the  Arkansas. 
"We  had  heard  of  a  lovely  spot  of  earth  situated  somewhere 
in  this  locality,  a  few  miles  from  the  road.  So  ere  the  de- 
parting sun  drew  through  the  mountain  gaps  her  golden  rib- 
bons, we  turned  up  a  green  valley  which,  though  miles  in 
length,  was  as  straight  as  the  last  threads  of  light  that 
streamed  down  this  magic  way.  It  was  so  regular,  so  lovely, 
I  imagined  an  angel  had  inverted  a  rainbow  and  with  it 
plowed  his  course  far  into  the  mountains. 

Along  the  bottom  ran  a  careless  Indian  trail  through  the 
carpet  of  green,  while  far  up  the  curving  sides  were  groves 


THE   bachelors'   WELCOME. 


of  evergreen  with  inviting  retreats  almost  inducing  us  to 
leave  the  path.  By  and  by  forms  of  monuments  appeared 
among  the  evergreen  on  our  left,  as  though  rocks,  like  trees, 
could  grow  from  the  green  unbroken  turf. 


PLEASANT  PARK. 


25 


At  the  end  of  the  valley  we  halted.  Below  us  lay  Pleasant 
Park,  surrounded  by  lofty  rocks,  stony  fortifications,  within 
whose  walls  were  towering  ruins  as  of  a  mighty  city  shaken 
down  by  the  hand  of  God.  Some  of  the  standing  walls 
were  red  like  brick,  others  white  like  marble.  Long  we 
watched  the  fitful  lights  and  shadows  of  the  moon  play  their 
wondrous  charms  among  those  eternal  remains.  In  that 
green  and  level  valley  from  which  they  arose  stood  groves  of 
lofty  pines,  like  tender  household  plants  in  the  door-yards 
of  a  deserted  city. 

Down  in  the  park,  in  a  secluded  spot,  we  found  a  cabin  of 
three  bachelors  who  bade  us  welcome  as  old  friends.  On  the 
walls  were  great  horns  upon  which  were  racked  their  guns, 
while  about  the  room  lay  Daniel  Boone's  complement  of  dogs. 
One  of  the  men,  wearing  buckskin  pants  with  five  hundred 
dangling  strings,  cooked  us  a  good  supper;  then  we  lay  our- 
selves down  on  furs  and  bufialo  robes  among  the  dogs  to 
sleep. 

Isext  morning  they  pointed  out,  two  miles  distant,  the  side 
view  of  a  monstrous   Indian  face.     The  Bed  man  of  these 
regions  called  him  "  Tewat,"  as  the  stern  visage  looked  like 
their  chieftain  of 
that  name.      Men 
may  have  carved 
the  Sphynx  of 
Egypt,    but    no 
h  u  m  a  n      ladder 
ever    reached   up 
this     perpendic- 
ular rock,  a  thous- 
and feet  high,  to 
cut  this  face.      It 
must  have  been  a 
grand  thought  to 
this   Tewat,   that 


^1.^^^ 


TEWAT. 


the  Great  Chieftaiti  had  stamped  his  image  upon  the  eternal 
rock  as  a  witness  of  his  commission  to  rule. 


26  THE  BEAR  ROCK. 

But  a  stranger  phenomenon  was  the  picture  of  a  bear  on 
the  face  of  a  rock.  The  longer  I  looked  at  it  the  more  I  was 
puzzled.  So  perfectly  in  shape,  size,  and  color,  did  it  resem- 
ble the  brown  cinnamon  bear  of  these  regions,  that  a  number 
of  rifle  balls  had  been  fired  into  it,  apparently  through  mis- 
take. These  scars,  which  were  about  an  inch  in  depth,  gave 
us  a  better  opportunity  of  inspection  ;  but,  like  every  sub- 
ject that  is  unfathomable,  all  light  only  revealed  new  myste- 
ries. Had  it  not  been  for  these  perforations,  showing  that 
the  color  extended  at  least  an  inch  in  depth,  I  would  have 
concluded  that  an  artist  of  some  race  inhabiting  this  country 
prior  to  the  Indian,  had  painted  this  picture  upon  the  stone, 
immortalizing  his  skill,  though  his  name  and  race  had  van- 
ished. But  I  know  of  no  paint  that  will  saturate  a  stone, 
and  yet  not  leave  the  outlines  perceptibly  blurred. 

This  pictured  rock,  I  believe,  has  never  been  described  by 
any  traveler,  though  it  is  well  known  to  the  Indians,  Mexi- 
cans, hunters,  and  the  settlers.  It  is  situated  in  a  canyon  of 
Purgatory  River,  twenty -five  miles  above  Fort  Lyons.  The 
people  all  wonder  how  it  was  formed,  and  the  idea  has  some- 
how spread  among  them  that  a  bear  standing  near  had  been 
photographed  by  a  flash  of  lightning. 

After  riding  round  through  Pleasant  Park  among  the 
monuments  until  tired  of  seeing  and  admiring,  we  keeled 
over  on  the  green  grass  in  the  shadow  of  a  lone  rock  as  steep 
as  any  wall,  towering  up  into  the  sky  perhaps  two  hundred 
feet. 

The  rocks  of  this  park  are  the  same  layers  as  stand  on. 
their  edges  so  grandly  thirty  miles  to  the  south  in  the  Garden 
of  the  Gods,  in  which  the  traveler  may  wander  up  narrow 
grassy  streets  between  smooth  perpendicular  walls  that  seem 
to  tower  into  the  sky  :  the  same  also  as  form  such  imposing 
entrance  to  Masie's  Hole,  known  in  early  days  as  Devil's 
Hole.  The  entrance  was  then  guarded  by  a  band  of  horse- 
thieves,  while  the  interior  formed  a  corral  large  enough  for 
ten  thousand  horses,  with  abundant  pasture.  It  is  now  occu- 
pied by  farmers  and  herders  who  have  put  a  gate  across  the 


A  SQUIRREL  HUNT. 


27 


entrance,  keeping  their  cattle  within  from  mixing  with  out- 
side herds.  This  place  of  wondrous  beauty  is  about  fifty 
miles  south  of  the  Garden  of  the  Gods,  and  many  miles  of 
the  country  between  are  colored  red  as  blood  with  the  dust 
of  these  crumbled  monuments.  When  those  lofty  granite 
mountains  to  the  west  of  this  region  poj^ped  their  heads 
through  the  ground,  they  must  have  thrown  the  whole  crust 
of  the  earth  along  here  on  its  edge.  Only  the  hardest  layers 
of  rock  yet  remain. 

As  our  ponies  were  grazing,  the  luggage  on  the  small  one 
worked  to  one  side,  touching  him  in  the  flank,  Avhen,  as 
quick  as  the  flash  of  a  gun,  he  went  into  a  fit  of  kicking. 
"Wildair  was  considerably  frightened,  but  I  took  it  coolly,  for 
I  had  seen  that  pony  kick  before.  What  did  I  now  care  for 
his  kicking  ?  My  foot  was  not  in  the  stirrup !  Finally  he 
freed  himself  of  everything  save  the  saddle  which  slid  down 
on  his  tail ;  then  he  streaked  it  toward  a  deep  ravine,  turned 
a  somersault,  and  alighted  at  the  bottom  of  it. 

We  had  just  got  ready  to  start  again,  when  Wildair  espied 
a  squirrel.     Ofi'  he  goes,  I  after  him  and  he  after  the  squirrel, 


A    NARROW    ESCAPK. 


leaving  the  ponies  to  take  care  of  themselves.     The  squirrel 
runs  up  a  tree,  but  that  is  just  what  Wildair  wants ;  I  never 


28  TREEING  A  SQUIRREL. 

Baw  such  a  fellow ;  lie  never  gets  tired  of  shooting.  The 
second  shot  brings  the  squirrel,  over  which  Wild  air  seems  as 
deljo-hted  as  if  he  had  shot  a  buffalo  with  a  cannon  seven 
miles  off.  As  we  stow  him  away,  Wildair  continues  to  boast 
over  his  shooting  and  the  line  aim  he  took,  to  which  I  as- 
sented : 

"  Oh,  certainly,  certainly,  I  never  heard  of  such  tall  shoot- 
ing !  Only  think  of  bringing  a  squirrel  from  the  top  of  a  tree 
with  a  revolver  no  longer  than  your  linger !  " 

A  few  rods  more  Wildair  is  off  again,  and  I  after  him. 
This  time  he  sights  fine,  but  the  squirrel  doesn't  come.  I 
take  aim  M'ith  my  large  revolver,  that  gets  on  a  higli,  dis- 
charging all  the  barrels  at  once,  but  the  squirrel  doesn't 
come.  AYildair  also  loads  up  his  seven  barrels  again  and 
again,  he  standing  on  one  side  of  the  tree  and  I  on  the  other, 
shooting,  but  the  squirrel  doesn't  come.  He  now  climbs  the 
tree  and  shoots,  while  I,  to  keep  the  squirrel  in  his  sight, 
stand  off  on  the  opposite  side,  throwing  clubs  and  stones, 
wliich  seem  more  likely  to  hit  Wildair  than  the  squirrel ;  but 
the  squirrel  doesn't  come. 

Then  AVildair  creeps  up  to  another  limb,  though  anxiously 
solicited  not  to  proceed  higher.  At  last  the  squirrel  is  on 
the  tip-top  limb  spreading  its  tail  as  if  about  to  fly  away,  and 
he  right  beneath  it  reaching  up  his  arm. 

"A  little  closer,  Wildair;  roach  a  trifle  closer,  and  you 
know  the  powder  will  save  us  the  trouble  of  singing." 

Bang  !  Bang !  and  down  comes  the  creature  ;  but  the  mo- 
ment it  strikes  the  ground  away  he  bounces  in  the  direction 
of  a  large  rock,  up  which  he  scampers,  while  Wildair  scram- 
bles down  with  triumph  to  get  his  squirrel;  but  tlie  squirrel 
is  gone.  I  dangle  my  feet  in  the  air,  laughing,  while  he  rolls 
and  tumbles  me  over  and  over  in  search.  In  vain  I  assure 
him  that  I  have  done  nothing  with  his  game;  he  is  inwardly 
convinced  that  the  fall  would  have  killed  any  squirrel,  thougli 
he  maintains  to  this  day  there  was  no  room  for  such  a  catas- 
trophe in  this  case. 

As  we  rode  on  we  passed  a  house  by  the  roadside  which  I 


THE  OLD  HOUSE  BY  THE  ROADSIDE.  29 

watched  with  the  deepest  interest,  and  when  on  the  hill  I 
turned  and  took  a  last,  long  look :  I  seemed  to  be  parting 
with  an  old  friend.  Wildair  desired  to  know  what  interest 
so  deep  could  be  connected  with  such  a  common-looking 
house  ;  so  I  soon  found  myself  relating  the  story. 

"  It  was  here  as  a  lonely  wanderer  I  ate  my  first  supper  in 
Colorado.  I  then  was  a  stranger,  as  you  know,  to  every 
human  being  in  the  territory. 

"  I  was  on  my  way  to  Southern  Colorado  or  any  place  else. 
"When  1  left  Denver  in  the  morning  I  inquired  the  way  to 
Colorado  City,  and  was  told  there  were  two  or  three  roads, 
but  that  the  one  by  West  Plum  Creek  was  the  nearest,  though 
roughest,  as  it  kept  close  to  the  mountains.  Then  I  asked 
who  lived  along  West  Plum  Creek  about  a  day's  ride  distant, 
and  was  referred  to  a  Mr.  Hopkins.  I  inquired  if  they  ever 
had  preaching  near  by,  and  was  informed  that  they  did  in  a 
school-house  of  the  neighborhood  about  five  miles  beyond, 
and  that  the  preacher  often  stopped  with  this  family.  I  rode 
on  enjoying  the  mountains  and  the  new  world  around  me. 
I  did  not  have  a  bite  for  dinner,  but  lay  down  at  noon  on  the 
grass  under  some  pine,  to  drink  in  the  enchantment  of  the 
strange,  beautiful  scenery  of  the  mountains,  which,  range 
beyond  range,  rolled  away  into  snowy  peaks  amongst  whose 
infinite  vastness  I  longed  to  wander. 

"When  my  pony  neighed,  and  then  went  down  to  the 
stream  to  drink,  1  concluded  he  had  eaten  grass  enough,  and 
again  rode  on. 

"  He  was  the  oddest  pony  I  ever  saw — cinnamon  colored, 
white  sided,  white  striped,  white  footed,  ball  faced,  glass  eyed, 
and  fat ;  but  I  wouldn't  have  cared  for  all  that  only  he  pre- 
tended to  be  able  to  know  when  it  was  time  to  stop  for  the 
ni:;ht. 

"  Just  at  dark  I  inquired  the  distance  to  Hopkins',  and  was 
informed  that  it  was  eiirht  miles.  Then  commenced  a  scene 
of  whipping  and  spurring,  which,  before  it  was  through 
with,  almost  hardened  my  heart  against  all  ponies.  I  spurred 
until  compassion  arose,  but  as  soon  as  I  commenced  pitying 


30 


COLORADO   HOSPITALITY. 


he  stopped  to  pitj  himself.  There  was  no  moon,  but  the 
playing  lightnings  lit  up  the  summit  of  the  mountains,  whose 
dark  bases  appeared  like  black  clouds  right  before  my  face, 
but  which  I  seemed  never  to  approach. 

"  But  it  wouldn't  do  to  lay  out  in  the  face  of  a  storm  ;  and 
finally  the  pony  concluded  to  jog  slowly  on. 

By  and  by,  with  joy  I  saw  a  light  near  the  road,  for,  strange 
as  it  may  seem,  they  had  a  window  in  their  house.     Hopkins 


A    BLOOUy    KECEPTION. 


was  not  a  bachelor.  At  the  door  I  dismounted  and  knocked. 
A  motherly-looking  woman  opened  it. 

"  '  Is  this  where  Mr.  Hopkins  lives  ? '  I  inquired. 

" '  Yes,  sir.' 

"  '  Do  you  receive  preachers  into  your  house  ?  I  am  on  my 
way  to  Southern  Colorado,  and  would  be  glad  to  stop  over 
night  with  you.' 

"  *  O  !  certainly ;  come  in ;  leave  your  pony ;  some  one  will 
take  care  of  him.' 


A  SUNDAY  VISITOR. 


31 


"  111  half  an  hour  more  in  came  half  a  dozen  large,  stern- 
looking  frontiersmen ;  but  the  sternest,  most  dauntless  look- 
ing one  was  Mr.  Hopkins.  I  seemed  like  a  tender  child  be- 
fore their  hardy  natures,  and  felt  almost  as  much  like  running 
as  speaking.  Their  hands  and  arms  were  bloody  from  skin- 
ning a  bear  which  they  had  killed  that  evening. 

"Next  morning  just  after  breakfast,  a  large  grizzly  bear 
came  down  from  the  jagged  mountains,  ran  across  the  broad 
grassy  plot  before  the  door,  and  disappeared  on  the  left  among 
some  low, 
s  h  r  u  b  by 
oak.  Out 
started  all 
the  men 
with  their 
guns,  call- 
ing to  the 
dogs  as 
they  ran. 
Some 
went 
around  the 
rocks   and 


SUNDAY    RECREATION. 


woods  to  scare  him  out,  while  Mr.  Hopkins  took  up  a 
position  near  the  road  to  shoot  the  bear  as  he  returned. 
My  nature  was  to  go  too,  but  you  see  it  was  the  Sabbath. 
Soon,  however,  they  returned  without  any  bear,  Grizzly  hav- 
ing scampered  back  safely  across  the  road. 

"  Somehow,  that  house  seems  strangely  dear  to  me,  because 
the  scenes  were  so  new,  the  people  so  kind,  and  I  so  lonely." 

Finally,  as  we  proceeded  on  our  way  Wildair  became  in- 
terested in  shooting  at  the  little  prairie  dogs,  which,  on  our 
approaching  their  village,  skedaddled,  each  to  his  mound, 
where  he  stood  barking  faster  and  faster  as  we  approached. 
When  we  came  so  near  one  that  he  could  bark  no  faster,  he 
popped  into  his  hole,  and  we  heard  a  last  rapid  whe-we-we 
and  saw  the  final  twinkle  of  his  tail. 


32 


AMONG  THE  PRAIRIE  DOGS. 


But  WilJair  -would  persevere  in  showing  how  straight  he 
shot,  and  how  his  balls  struck  right  on  the  opposite  side  of 
where  they  sat.  So,  after  having  told  him  a  hundred  times, 
even  if  he  did  shoot  one  with  his  little  revolver  he  could  not 


— '^':^'»^^t,*«s*«,. 


FULLY    CONVINCED, 


get  him,  I  tried  making  fun  of  his  shooting.  So  when  he 
said — 

"  Did  you  see  that  ?  the  ball  struck  exactly  on  the  opposite 
side  of  where  he  stood ; "  I  replied,  looking  in  the  opposite 
direction — 

"  Oh,  certainly,  certainly,  you  put  a  hole  through  one 
every  time  ;  how  can  I  doubt  that,  since  seeing  your  perform- 
ance on  that  last  squirrel  ? " 

But  that  remark  only  whet  his  appetite ;  so  I  rode  on,  tell- 
ing him  I  was  so  fully  convinced  I  thought  it  useless  to  tarry 
longer.  "When  last  I  looked  around  I  espied  him  four  miles 
away,  still  pulling  trigger  at  those  barking  puppies  of  the 
desert. 

"When  Wildair  overtook  me  I  was  sitting  upon  a  jagged 
rock  of  the  M-all  of  the  Garden  of  the  Gods,  watching  the 
zigzag  lightnings  play  about  the  summit  of  Pike's  Peak  just 
beyond.  That  great  battery,  having  become  charged  with 
electricity,  telegraphed  to  the  clouds,  which  came  flying — gath- 


TEMPLES  OF  TIME, 


33 


ering  as  they  flew — until  the  elements  met  in  wild  fury  and 
fierce  array  around  the  awful  summit,  while  unseen  wires  be- 
came red  as  flame  and  fiery  javelins  pierced  the  mountain. 

It  seemed  fit  that  down  from  those  awful  heights  the  fu- 
rious gods  should  come  to  spend  their  calmer  moods  in  this 
garden,  from  whose  surface,  so  level  and  green,  towered 
variously  colored  rucks  of  startling  grandeur  yet  fantastic 
forms  of  beauty. 

But  we  wandered  outside  the  garden,  far  away  along 
Monument  Creek,  where  the  white  columns  of  their  ruined 
temples  arose  amid  the  evergreens  and  over  the  valleys,  a,s 

strange,  if  not  as 
fanciful,  as  any 
that  ever  adorned 
the  heathen  tem- 
ples of  ancient 
Greece  and 
Rome.  Though 
the  ceiling  had 
fallen,  yet  fre- 
quently a  broad 
flat  stone  re- 
mained  strangely 
poised  upon  the 
^  top  of  a  column. 
^  The  music  that 
used  to  echo  here 
was  the  wild 
ocean's  roar,  as 
declared  by  the 
pillars  of  cement- 
ed gravel. 

We  next  wan- 
dered    up     amid 
MONUMENT  ROCKS.  the  mouutaius,  to 

the  Soda  Springs,  whose  gaseous  waters  formed  a  flowing 

soda  fountain  that  would  both  raise  bread  and  elevate  one's 
'6 


34.  DOUBLE  FALLS. 

feelings.  After  drinking  large  draughts  it  seemed  that 
springs  were  under  our  heels,  and  we  were  soon  up  about  the 
"Double  Falls,"  loosing  large  stones  to  dash  and  plunge  into 
the  nnseen  depths  below,  while  all  the  chasms  around  echoed 
back  every  boom  and  crash,  or  prolonged  and  modified  them 
to  suit  their  hollow  voices.  We  tried  our  lungs ;  ^ve  had 
only  to  open  our  mouths  and  the  chasms  opened  theirs  to  the 
mountains,  and  the  mountains  spake  back  to  the  chasms. 
We  grew  wild  with  delight — we  halloed — we  whooped — we 
modified  our  voices  in  a  thousand  strains  while  waving  bur 
hands,  gloating  upon  the  vastness  around  between  rocks  and 
mountains,  who,  as  if  full  with  utterance,  spake  back  to  our 
ravished  senses  siich  tones  as  we  had  never  heard — tones 
larger  than  Pike's  Peak  and  deeper  than  five  hundred  wells. 
Creation  seemed  our  speaking  trumpet,  while  we  M-ere  raised 
in  feeling  above  the  mountains. 

At  evening  M^e  Avandered   back  to  Colorado.  City,  with  its 
crumbling  buildings  speaking  of  its  high  but  fallen  hopes. 


CHAPTER  III. 
FEONTIER    LIFE. 

I  HAD  some  lively  experiences  before  the  arrival  ofWildair. 
My  circuit  extended  over  the  scattered  settlements  from 
the  Green  Horn  Mountains  to  Fort  Lyons,  a  distance  of  one 
hundred  and  fifty  miles  along  the  Arkansas  Eivcr. 

Here  I  found  all  the  romance  of  hardships  I  desired.  My 
appointments  were  mostly  in  log  cabins  without  floors  or 
windows,  the  people  from  Texas  even  complaining  that  the 
cold  required  them  to  daub  up  the  cracks.  Upon  entering 
them  I  could  not  see  a  particle,  but  said  :  "  How  do  you  do? " 
They  managed  to  find  my  hand  and  we  had  a  sociable  time. 
Were  it  too  cold  to  throw  open  the  door,  they  lit  a  faint  can- 
dle or  punched  the  fire  so  I  could  see  to  read  the  hymn; 
then  we  were  all  right  for  the  rest  of  the  services,  though  I 
looked  in  vain  for  tears  to  be  shed — it  was  too  dark. 

Las  Animas  City,  within  a  mile  of  Fort  Lyons,  I  found  the 
excrescence  of  creation  ;  the  scum  of  railroad  towns  floated 
down  there  and  lodged  round  a  military  post.  I  first  en- 
tered this  village  one  Saturday  evening  just  as  the  echo  of 
the  sunset-gun  was  dj-ing  43ut  over  the  plains.  The  people 
were  on  a  high.  Before  me  passed  a  young  girl  with  a  cigar 
in  her  mouth,  cracking  her  fists,  and  reeling  toward  a  saloon 
where  men  were  gambling.  ITp  to  them  she  marched,  inter- 
rupting their  game,  and  gave  them  distinctly  to  understand 
that  she  was  around,  and  must  have  a  treat,  or  some  of 
them  would  enjoy  the  luxur}'  of  bloody  noses. 

'Next  morning  as  I  tried  to  hold  services  in  an  unoccupied 

35 


36 


A  MIXED  CONGREGATION. 


room,  the  clatter  of  hammers  against  horses'  shoes  in  the  ad- 
joining shop  was  the  chorus  of  each  song. 

During  the  day  one  hardy  frontiersman  sought  the  oppor- 
tunity of  an  interview  with  me.  As  he  began  to  talk,  tears 
iilled  his  eyes,  which  had  not  wej)t  for  years.  lie  told  me 
from  an  overflowing  heart 


and  in  pathetic  language, 
of  the  new  life  and  hope 
that  once  dawned  npon 
liis  mind ;  of  the  higher 
bliss,  the  more  rapturous 
joy  he  then  experienced 
and  felt  to  be  not  of 
earth,but  streaming  down 
from  Heaven.  Then  he 
deplored  the  condition 
into  which  he  had  drift- 
ed— not  so  much  through 
his  own  fault  as  through 
the  downward  tendencies 
of  all  around  him.  Upon 
the  currents  of  unmixed 
evil  he  was  here  thrown, 
and  borne  farther  and 
farther   away   from    the 

things  he  used  to  love.  "With  bitterness  he  told  me  it  must 
remain  so ;  he  could  not  stem  the  tides.  Upon  leaving  he 
firmly  grasped  my  hand,  and  with  emphasis  said : 

"  For  God's  sake,  be  firm." 

In  Boggsvillc,  near  by,  my  first  congregation  were  Indians, 
Mexicans,  Europeans,  and  a  mixture  of  these  that  I  have  not 
arithmetic  to  express.  However,  the  gentleman  in  whose 
liouse  I  held  the  services  had  a  splendid  mansion,  while  around 
him  were  the  cabins  of  his  tenants,  forming  a  village.  As 
every  one  gazed  at  my  tall  hat  until  it  went  out  of  sight,  1 
threw  it  away,  and  my  host  gave  me  one  from  his  store  with 
a  low  crown  and  a  broad  drooping  rim.     I  also  found  it  quite 


INVITING    A    TREAT. 


I 
1 


SQUAWS  AS  HOUSEKEEPERS.  37 

convenient  to  resort  to  Lis  smith  shop  when  my  ponj  needed 
shoeing ;  and  his  harness  shop  proved  very  handy  -when  I 
wanted  to  swap  my  old  sinch  for  a  new  one.  lie  had  an  im- 
mense herd  of  cattle,  and  several  square  miles  of  land.  The 
latter,  I  understood,  he  received  as  a  premium  from  the  gov- 
ernment for  raising  a  number  of  children  equally  related  to 
the  Indians  and  the  whites,  as  a  civilizing  policy.  His  wife 
sometimes  left  his  fine  mansion  and  ran  away  to  the  wigwam 
of  her  childhood,  but  as  often  he  brought  her  back.  But 
still  she  would  be  an  Indian,  strapping  her  papoose  on  her 
back,  and  hiding  about  the  house  like  a  wolf.  The  daughter 
of  Colonel  Bent — her  neighbor — though  a  half-breed,  was 
refined,  could  pla}'  on  the  piano,  entertain  guests,  and  had  a 
warm,  noble  heart,  yet  her  sister  was  as  tameless  as  a  fox, 
preferring  to  spend  most  of  her  time  with  her  mother's  rel- 
atives. 

She  belongred  to  the  Plain  Indians  who  are  the  eternal 
enemies  of  the  Mountain  Indians.  Formerly  both  M'ere 
friendly  to  the  Whites,  passing  up  and  down  the  Arkansas  to 
meet  on  the  war-path.  The  last  time  the  Plain  Indians 
passed  up  this  way  they  came  with  their  rifles,  breathing  ven- 
g-eance  asrainst  the  Utes  of  the  IVIountains.  But  no  sooner 
had  they  arrived  at  Colorado  City,  than  they  treacherously 
wheeled  about  and  returned,  scalping  the  helpless  settlers 
who  had  permitted  them  to  pass  and  made  no  preparation 
for  such  betrayal  of  trust.  I  was  shown  the  tree  near  which 
two  little  boys,  brothers,  were  killed  while  driving  home  the 
cows.  Almost  every  neighborhood  had  its  fortified  house 
where  the  people  collected  in  time  of  danger.  The  Utes 
were  still  friendly  to  the  Whites,  passing  up  and  down  the 
Arkansas  Biver,  as  of  old,  to  replenish  their  store  of  buffalo 
meat.  I  might  tell  of  Indian  scares  innumerable,  of  families 
fleeing  from  tribes  of  friendly  Utes  mistaken  for  Plain  In- 
dians, and  wives  and  children  sorely  frightened  during  the 
absence  of  the  heads  of  families. 

One  day  a  neighbor  woman  rushed  into  the  house  where 
1  stopped.     I  knew  at  once  the  cause  of  her  fright,  and  i;n- 


38  AN  INDIAN  CAMP. 

mediately  hastened  to  her  home,  to  find  a  nnmber  of  peaceable 
Utes  at  the  door.  The  warriors,  with  their  flash j  colors, 
continued  to  pass  for  an  honr  in  gangs  of  three  and  four, 
riding  up  to  the  house  to  beg,  or  trade  for  arms.  Their  very 
looks  were  frightful.  Then  for^  a  couple  of  hours  passed 
scattered  squads  of  squaws,  driving  ponies  loaded  with  tents 
and  bundles  of  poles,  one  end  dragging  on  the  ground. 

As  the  mantle  of  darkness  spread  around,  the  Avar-whoop 
of  these  savages  rendered  the  niglit  air  hideous ;  so  I  wan- 
dered thither,  far,  far  down  the  river  to  them.  In  a  cove- 
shajDed  nook  of  timber  their  wigwams  were  pitched,  and  lit 
up  by  a  common  camp  lire  around  which  a  party  of  braves 
were  still  dancing.  It  was  a  beautiful  scene,  so  nature  like ; 
there  were  their  groups  of  nodding  ponies.  Upon  entering 
the  camp  an  Indian  poked  out  his  head  from  a  wigM-am  with 
the  salutation  "  How,  how ;  come  in,"  and  in  I  crept.  Around 
a  little  lire  whose  smoke  ascended  through  the  top,  curled 
the  lazy  inmates,  apparently  a  part  of  two  families,  forming 
a  circle,  the  head  of  one  being  in  contact  with  the  feet  of 
another,  while  the  back  of  each  individual  touched  the  tent. 
Upon  a  couple  of  hot  stones  were  slapjacks  baking.  AVhen 
ready  to  turn,  they  were  leaned  against  some  pegs  before  the 
fire  to  give  the  other  side  a  scorching,  then  throM'n  to  the 
stupid  savages  to  devour. 

When  they  desired  to  retire  for  the  night,  they  had  simply 
to  draw  the  curtain  over  their  eyes  and  the  thing  was  effected. 
Or  when  the  squaws  wished  to  jirepare  breakfast,  the  only 
requirement  was  to  rub  their  eyes,  raise  themselves  upoii 
their  elbows,  and  go  to  baking — M'ithout  the  vexation  of 
dressing,  washing,  combing  the  hair,  or  even  moving  a  peg. 

Upon  their  begging  for  matches  and  tobacco,  I  indicated  I 
wasn't  a  smoker,  when  these  suspicious  savages  (a  couple  of 
squaws,  by  the  way)  concluded  that  seeing  was  believing,  and  at 
once  instituted  a  search.  So  I  climbed  out  of  that — not  that  I 
liad  much  money  to  lose,  for  in  those  days  I  lived  upon  charity 
myself.  The  "head"  of  the  hovel  crept  out  after  me,  whis- 
pering slyly  in  my  ears  "  whiskey,  whiskey."     As  I  had  none 


DREARY  SOLITUDE. 


39 


to  give,  ho  took  me  aside  and  secretly  inquired,  the  best  he 
could,  as  to  the  whereabouts  of  the  Plain  Indians,  whom  they 
dreaded  to  meet  in  open  country,  but  with  whom  they  would 
liave  rejoiced  to  battle  among  the  rocks  of  their  own  native 
liills. 

But  AVildair  and  I  visited  them  at  their  homes  in  the 
mountains.  We  did  not  wonder  that  they  were  peaceable,  for 
they  had  nothing  more  to  lose ;  their  game  was  all  gone, 
never  to  return,  and  when  the  charities  of  the  Whites  fail, 
all  these  tribes  nnist  go 


to  work  or  starve.  After 
having  traveled  two  days 
in  a  retrion  so  wild  that 
the  Indians  must  feel 
gloomy,  our  provisions 
tailed  us.  In  the  after- 
noon, at  the  head  of  a 
fertile  little  valley,  we 
passed  the  ranche  of  some 
bachelors,  but  they  had 
nothing  for  us,  thougli 
we  were  cut  with  hunger 
and  almost  begged  for  a 
little  of  their  greasy  side 
meat  and  a  few  sad  bis- 
cuits. 

Next  morning  I  heard 
a  wild  pheasant  flapping 
its  "wings  ;  'twas  the  lone- 
liest sound  I  ever  heard. 


ON   THE   HUNT. 


I  wandered  up  amid  the  rocks,  and 
climbed  above  frowning  precipices,  but  could  not  tell  from 
whence  the  sound  proceeded ;  it  seemed  to  come  from  every 
stone  around.    I  climbed  to  the  summit,  full  of  lonely,  dreamy 


thoughts. 


I  lay  upon  a  wild  and  rugged  rock, 
O'crpowcrcd  by  chasms  deep, 

And  gazed  into  the  desolations  round 
Where  Nature  lay  asleep. 


^0 


ENCOUNTER  WITH  TEX.1N  CATTLE. 


The  bleaching  bones  of  vanished  buffalo 

Foretold  the  Red  Man's  fate; 
No  more  amid  those  rocks  he  pens  his  game, 

For  else,  too  desolate. 

But  in  these  parts  remained  a  few  mountain  sheep,  and  an 
occasional  wild  Texan  ox  escaped  from  some  herd.  The  peo- 
ple have  found  that  Texan  cattle  must  be  kept  on  the  plains. 
So  wild  are  their  natures  that,  should  a  drove  see  a  man  alone 
and  on  foot  upon  the  broad  prairies,  his  Hfe  would  be  in  dan- 
ger. One  day  as  I  rode  across  the  plains  far  from  the  river, 
I  noticed  Texan  cattle  unherded  coming  on  the  run  toward 
me.     My  horse  was  M-hite,  and  attracted  their  attention  far 


WILD    CATTLE    OF    THE    PLAINS. 

and  near.  By  swinging  my  coat,  and  plunging  my  horse  at 
them,  I  managed  to  keep  them  at  bay,  and  finally  put  the 
drove  to  route.  It  would  have  required  a  swift  horse  to  keep 
ahead  of  their  stampede. 

We  stopped   over  night   with  a   solitary   but   well-to-do 
bachelor.     He  cooked  our  supper  and  breakfast,  swept  the 


A  LADY'S  EXPERIENCES.  41 

house,  and  more,  accommodated  us  with  the  kixury  of  a  tol- 
erably comfortable  bed. 

But,  take  it  all  in  all,  bachelors  are  the  roughest  set  of 
housekeepers  that  ever  undertook  such  duties.  Their  dirt 
floors,  their  greasy  pokers,  their  jams,  their  door-posts,  seem- 
ingly rubbing  posts  for  hogs — are  enough  to  frighten  any 
lady  or  even  the  Old  Scratch  himself.  My  sister  visited  me 
in  Colorado,  and  being  romantic,  I  bought  her  a  pony,  on 
which  she  accompanied  me  once  around  the  circuit,  which 
was  a  distance  of  nearly  four  hundred  miles.  One  day,  my 
pony  having  given  out,  we  rode  up  to  a  herder's  cabin,  round 
which  we  saw  several  ponies  grazing,  to  banter  theui  for  a 
trade. 

The  young  bachelors  were  very  kind,  and  invited  us  to  have 
some  dinner  with  them.  With  joy  we  alighted  and  entered, 
for  I  was  always  hungry  in  Colorado.  But  Roxanna  was 
taken  by  surprise,  although  I  had  tried  to  picture  to  her  the 
mode  of  life  these  weary  men  lead.  Our  meal  consisted  of 
beaver  tail  and  beans,  served  in  a  black- pot  set  on  a  low  box 
before  us,  into  which  we  dived  one  at  a  time,  filling  our  tin 
plates,  and  eating  with  forks  that  had  long  since  lost  their 
handles.  One  of  the  young  fellows  politely  used  his  fingers. 
The  beds,  blankets,  and  saddles,  were  twisted  up  in  an  inglo- 
rious pile  on  the  floor. 

At  another  place  where  Boxanna  and  I  took  dinner,  we 
were  all  eating  away  with  great  satisfaction  and  relating  inci- 
dents of  our  lives  ;  as  one  fine-looking  man  whom  they  called 
"  Major,"  was  telling  some  of  his  hardships  in  Libby  Prison — 
how  it  shattered  his  health,  how  he  came  to  the  territory  to 
recuperate,  and  of  the  wonderful  vigor  he  was  beginning  to 
feel — an  incident  transpired  that  cut  short  his  remarks. 

An  old  hen,  happy  with  the  thought  of  having  become 
the  mother  of  an  eg^,  came  flying  from  some  back  apart- 
ment for  the  open  door,  and  with  a  loud  cackle  and  wonderful 
tlounder,  lit  plump  in  the  great  plate  of  fat  meat,  throwing 
\he  pieces  and  gravy  all  over  the  table  and  into  our  faces ! 
Then,  with  another  fearful  bound,  she  flapped  her  greasy 


42 


PROPOSALS  OF  MARRIAGE. 


\ving3  over  our  heads,  and  was  off.     But   tlio  Major  cau<^]it 
the  worst  dose,  as  the  chicken's  feet  slipped  out  from  under 


A.    "foul  "  DINRBR. 

her  with  great  violence,  a  time  or  two,  in  the  direction  of  his 
face.  That  invading  form !  I  still  sometimes  see  it  in  my 
dreams.     The  Major  did  not  finish  his  story. 

Though  a  young  lady  could  hardly  be  in  Colorado  a  week 
without  receiving  a  number  of  proposals,  yet  Roxanna  received 
too  greasy  an  introduction  ;  all  their  propositions  slipped  off. 
Were  I  a  lady,  before  I  would  marry  one  of  these  bachelors,  I 
would  require  him  to  burn  down  his  greasy  shanty  and  build 
a  clean  one,  throw  all  liis  clothes  to  the  flames,  scour  himself 
with  a  brick,  syringe  the  drooling  cud  from  his  mouth,  and 
even  then  I  would  not  have  him,  for  nothing  can  reach  his 
mind,  to  purify  the  fountain  of  his  thoughts  that  have  been 
corrupted  by  the  scenes  of  his  surroundings.  Yet  there  are 
exceptions  to  this  rule,  when  the  sudden  presence  of  a  pure 
and  lovely  angel  at  his  ho*ne  brings  back,  like  a  flash,  the  re- 


A  REFORMED  BACHELOR.  43 

membrances  of  former  times,  for  many  of  them  luul  been 
reared  in  tlie  lap  of  luxury  and  ease,  and  once  knew  the 
charms  of  refinement. 

One  day,  cold,  dripping  and  wet,  "Wildair  and  I  rode  from 
early  morn  through  the  mountains,  amid  clouds  of  fog  and 
descending  snow-Hakes,  In  the  afternoon  we  came  npon  a 
cabin,  where  we  stood  the  rest  of  the  day  like  hungry,  drip- 
ping rats,  on  the  rickety  hearth  in  an  unearthly  looking 
house,  while  back  of  us  were  four  men  of  intellect,  but  fallen 
refinement,  who,  eager  for  excitement  and  thrilling  events, 
had  come  to  this  wonderful  West.  There  they  sat,  round  a 
table  that  they  would  once  have  shuddered  to  touch,  gambling 
over  money  they  liad  received  through  the  grand  lottery  of 
the  "West — gold  mining — while  filthy  M'ords  and  vile  oaths 
rolled  from  their  mouths. 

By  and  by,  in  came  another  man  who  looked  as  if  he  be- 
longed to  civilization  ;  he  tarried  but  a  short  time,  seeming 
to  have  something  to  do,  something  to  occupy  his  mind  this 
rainy  day.  Making  inquiries,  we  learned  that  he  owned  a 
saw  mill,  and  lived  in  a  honse  not  three  rods  distant,  which 
was  hidden  from  view  by  the  clouds. 

When  supper  time  came,  to  our  delight  he  invited  us  to 
his  house.  As  we  entered,  our  eyes  first  caught  glimpses  of 
clean  paper  trimmings  npon  the  shelves,  and  the  white  stand 
table  covering,  npon  which  were  a  few  little  trinkets  taste- 
fully arranged,  and  we  seemed  to  have  seen  an  angel — yes, 
another  step  and  there  she  stood,  as  neat  as  a  white  pigeon 
and  pretty  as  a  dove.  Three  weeks  before  this  man  had  been 
living  as  these  other  bachelors  were ;  but  he  had  the  good 
sense  and  fortune  to  go  down  toward  Denver  and  get  him  a 
jewel  of  a  wife.  TIow  his  heart  leaped  witii  joy  as  he  sat 
down  around  a  table  with  a  snow-white  spread,  on  which  was 
inviting  food  served  in  beautiful  dishes.  I  had  seen  so  much 
of  dirt  that  I  came  near  rejoicing  aloud,  but  I  quenched  my 
feelings.  When  at  night  we  lay  down  in  a  soft  clean  bed, 
her  angelic  presence  seemed  to  hover  ronnd,  and  I  then  and 
there  said  in  my  heart  some  hard  things  against  bachelors. 


44  BOUND  FOR  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

I  thought  this  reformed  bachelor — reformed  Hke  a  magic,  his 
feet  taken  from  the  pit  and  miry  clay  and  set  upon  flowery 
beds  of  comfort  and  beauty,  and  his  weary  head  laid  upon  a 
snowy  pillow — enjoyed  more  comfort  in  a  single  hour  than 
one  of  those  other  lonely,  filthy  greasers  would  enjoy  in  a 
lifetime  of  vexation,  disappointment,  and  sorrow.  A  man 
robbed  of  the  society  of  woman  is  the  filthiest  looking  brute 
I  ever  saw.  The  deer,  the  rabbit,  the  wild  birds  of  these  re- 
gions, seem  born  of  the  sky  in  contrast. 

At  this  time  Wildair  and  I  were  on  our  way  from  Colorado 
City  westward  into  the  mountains,  bound  to  stand  face  to 
face  with  the  grandest  of  those  distant  eternal  pillars  of  the 
sky,  that  had  beckoned  me  thither  ten  thousand  times  when 
ridin"-  on  my  weary  rounds  on  the  plains.  They  had  called 
me  with  a  passion,  day  after  day  for  months,  and  now,  with 
Wildair  equally  wild  in  his  first  enthusiasm,  I  was  at  last  to 
approach  those  mighty  forms,  and  try  to  throw  my  arms 
around  their  infinite  vastness. 

Next  morning  the  clouds  were  lifted  high,  and  drifting 
down  the  mighty  gorge  to^\ard  the  plains  like  great  chunks 
of  broken  ice  on  the  upper  deep.  The  bright  sunshine 
played  between  the  pieces  down  into  the  ethereal  river,  while 
above,  on  either  shore  of  the  stream,  stood  the  eternal  peaks 
clad  in  their  mantles  of  purity  and  bright  in  the  clear  sky  of 
heaven.  Soon  the  sun  came  out,  the  snow  fled  up  the  moun- 
tains, and  stretching  carpets  of  green  spread  themselves  be- 
neath our  feet. 

Toward  evening  we  found  ourselves  upon  an  elevated 
rido-e,  and  before  us  in  the  west  opened  a  scene  of  vast  ex- 
tent. The  rolling  mountains,  dark  with  evergreen,  rose 
higher  and  still  more  rugged  in  the  far-off  distance ;  but  lar 
beyond  these,  set  in  the  golden  sky,  were  snoM-y  ranges  of 
peaks  so  remote  they  seemed  to  be  the  eternal  spires  that 
lined  the  bound  of  creation.  The  clouds  rolled  away,  open- 
ing distance  beyond  distance,  then  dropped  their  golden 
spires  down  to  meet  the  silvery  spires  of  earth,  as  if  to  form 
portals  through  which  to  pass  to  heaven.     To  angels  they 


PETRIFIED  STUMrS.  45 

must  have  appeared  as  the  gates  to  this  dark  eartli,  through 
which  only  scattered  rays  of  h'ght  were  shining;  to  us  they 
appeared  as  openings  leading  into  the  Beyond,  illuminated  by 
the  smiles  of  Heaven. 

I^ear  the  roadside  we  visited  the  "  Petrified  Stumps," 
about  twenty  in  number,  scattered  along  a  grassy  valley. 
Out  of  the  hollow  of  one  over  a  dozen  steps  in  circumference, 
had  grown  a  large  tree  whose  trunk  liad  fallen  and  now  lay 
mouldering  in  the  grass,  while  the  original  stumj)  seemed  to 
laugh  at  its  decay. 

In  these  high  altitudes,  the  atmosphere  is  so  thin  that  there 
is  no  covering  to  break  oif  the  splendor  of  the  sun,  or  none 
to  keep  what  heat  he  gives,  so  that  the  moment  he  sinks  from 
view  the  warmth  flies  upward,  leaving  the  world  and  poor 
campers  like  us  to  shake  with  a  tit  of  ague  until  his  return. 
But  still  there  were  charms  in  sitting  before  the  bright  blaze 
of  the  camp  tire  flashing  out  under  the  boughs  of  the  deep 
green  foliage  of  pine — fun  in  roasting  our  venison  on  the  end 
of  a  long  jiole,  and  relish  in  eating  it.  Four  pounds  dis- 
posed of  gave  a  wonderful  amount  of  pleasure  to  a  couple  of 
huge  animated  lumps  that  keeled  over  on  the  grass  to  con- 
template mischief  for  the  evening. 

On  the  side  of  the  ravine  where  we  lay  was  a  forest  so 
dense  that  no  eye  could  discern  that  beneath  the  lofty  foliage 
towered  a  grand  mountain.  Up  the  grassy  valley  here  and 
there  stood  solitary  evergreens,  their  silver-coated  foliage 
glittering  in  the  moonlight.  I^p,  up  tliey  rose,  tapering  into 
perfect  cones  that  seemed  to  i)ierce  the  sky.  On  the  oppo- 
site side  of  the  valley  many  had  been  killed  and  badly  burned 
bv  the  tires,  yet  their  leafless  trunks  stood  as  lonff,  straiirht, 
and  tapering  as  the  arrows  used  by  the  mighty  angels  during 
the  tierce  battle  of  heaven. 

"  Look  here,  Wildair,  I  can't  see  a  ]-)article  of  sense  in  slee])- 
ing  over  here  by  one  tire  that's  likely  to  go  out  before  morn- 
ing, when  we  can  enjoy  a  dozen  over  there,  and  have  a  sure 
thing  of  it.  You  can  stand  any  amount  of  cold  ;  it  don't  faze 
you,  but  I  can't  sleep  so  sound.     If  I  didn't  creep  out  in  the 


46 


FIRE-WORKS. 


night  and  nm  through  the  brush,  packing  limbs  to  throw  on 
the  fire,  you  would  be  a  frozen  icicle  one  of  these  mornings 
and  wouldn't  know  it.  Look  here,  I  lost  my  watch  chain 
last  night,  and  almost  scratched  my  sleepy  eyes  out." 

"  Well,  agreed  ;  let's  pack  our  saddles  over  there  and  build 


A    NIGHT    IN    THE    WOODS. 

fires  on  every  side  of  us,  for  I  can  venture  to  say  that  one  of 
my  sides  alternately  cooks  and  freezes  every  night." 

"  Here,  here,  Wildair,  is  the  very  place.  See,  the  logs  lie 
round  in  a  circle  !  " 

After  starting  fires  far  and  near  to  moderate  the  whole  at- 
mosphere, we  sat  down  to  watch  the  blazes  flash,  wane,  shoot 
into  the  air,  and  play  their  various  pranks,  until,  tired  and 
sleepy,  we  i>laced  three  torches  in  the  encircling  logs,  then 
lay  down  in  the  centre  to  rest.  We  had  just  fallen  deep  into 
the  arms  of  Sleep  when  we  began  to  dream  of  infernal  re- 
gions, of  the  torment  of  their  flames— I'd  never  had  such 
dreams  before — 


THE  SOUTH  PARK.  47 

"  O  !  rouster,  "Wildair,  blazes !  good  heavens !  get  out  of 
here —  " 

"  Ho  !  Oh— oh— what's  this  ? " 

"  Fire  !  fire  !  come —  " 

"O!  where,  how,  hack,  Caleb!—" 

"When  we  found  ourselves  we  M'ere  standing  off  about  fif- 
teen rods,  scratching  our  heads — a  little  scorched  they  were. 

"  Do  you  knoM^  what  I  was  thinking  about,  Wildair  ? " 

"  Certainly  ;  about  that  fire." 

"  No,  not  that — how  near  we  came  needing  no  more  roast 
venison." 

"  Well,  I'd  been  worse  than  an  icicle  in  a  moment,  had 
you  iu)t  awakened  me." 

"  The  Indians,  I  imagine,  must  have  barked  those  logs  for 
pommel  soup." 

"  Why,  what  of  that  ? " 

"  A  good  deal ;  it  causes  all  the  pitch  to  settle  in  the  peeled 
portion,  and  the  people  in  Southern  Colorado  split  this  into 
candles ! " 

"  The  end  of  3'on  elevated  log — a  snorting  candle  that !  " 

It  was  not  long  before  the  wind  arose,  sweeping  the  flames 
from  tree  to  tree  up  into  the  denser  and  denser  dead  pine 
trees,  until  it  seemed  like  a  mountain  of  burning  fire  sending 
its  blaze  toward  heaven.  It  didn't  go  out  that  night,  neither 
did  we  sleep  much. 

Somewhere  far  out  among  those  endless  mountains,  one  day 
before  us  opened  South  Park,  a  mighty  basin  deeply  sunk  in 
the  snow-capped  mountains  that  girt  it  about  like  eternal  bar- 
riers of  ice  piercing  the  clouds.  Far,  far  beneath  us  lay  that 
gem  of  spring,  carpeted  by  grass.  liaising  our  glasses  to  our 
eyes  they  revealed  thousands  of  cattle  grazing  down  in  that 
level  lawn,  drove  beyond  drove,  until  they  appeared  like 
myriads  of  ants — then  vanished  from  view  beyond  the  centre. 

We  now  started  for  the  summit  of  Gray's  Peak,  in  sight, 
a  short  distance  to  the  north  ;  but  there  was  a  snowy  range 
to  be  crossed,  over  which  mining  prospectors  were  beginning 
to  pass  on  snow  shoes.     So  we  had  either  to  pack  our  ponies 


48  THE  MINERS. 

over  the  range,  or  traverse  a  round-about  way.  We  did  the 
latter.  Along  a  gorge  winding  in  every  conceivable  direc- 
tion, we  followed  until  I  thought  we  were  neai-ly  back  to 
Colorado  City — at  least  yve  came  to  where  we  could  see  the 
stream  bursting  out  upon  the  plains.  Then  we  started  up 
another  gorge  between  other  folds  of  the  mountains,  toward 
the  peak  we  were  bound  to  climb. 

The  squads  of  miners  whom  we  passed  driving  their  pack 
mules  into  the  mountains  looked  curiously  at  us,  but  on  we 
wound  our  way  up  South  Clear  Creek,  along  one  of  the 
grandest  gorges  that  ever  cut  its  course  through  granite. 

The  early  miners  who  went  out  with  pick,  shovel,  and 
sandpan,  have  here  left  great  signs  of  their  work.  Tlie  stream 
had  ground  portions  of  the  mountains  into  gravel,  through 
which  the  miners  have  dug  for  the  gold  that  had  been  crushed 
out  of  the  stone  and  settled  on  the  bed  rock.  Mile  after 
mile  the  smooth  round  stones  and  gravel  had  been  washed 
over  and  piled  up  in  great  fields  and  innumerable  mounds. 

But  as  if  this  stream  were  too  slow,  impatient  man  had 
directed  his  ingenuity  and  powers  to  crushing  the  precious 
metals  out  of  the  mountains.  On  one  hand,  donkeys  were 
packing  ore  down  the  steep  side  of  the  mountain  along  a 
winding  path  to  a  neighboring  crushing  mill ;  on  the  other 
hand,  a  rail-road  cart  came  rolling  out  of  the  granite  wall, 
bearing  to  a  stamping  mill  its  precious  load.  We  rode  into 
one  of  these  tunnels,  with  the  dripping  rock  above  our  heads 
and  the  chilly  air  around  us,  until  we  came  to  a  machine  on 
wheels,  drilling  the  sparkling  granite  with  augers  whirling  at 
lightning  speed  preparatory  to  blasting.  They  were  still 
driving  the  tunnel  into  the  mountain,  expecting  by  and  by 
to  strike  a  far  richer  vein.  The  machine  was  run  bv  com- 
pressed  air,  -which  was  conveyed  hither  through  pipes  from 
the  air  pump  at  the  entrance.  This  pump  received  its  power 
from  the  dashinoj  stream. 


CHAPTEH  IT. 
ASCENT  OF  GEAY'S  PEAK— IN  A  HOEN. 

f^  EAY'S  Peak  had  been  in  our  minds  ever  since  vre  left 
vX  South  Park.  Seemingly  we  had  come  around  creation 
to  set  here,  and  now  the  miners  told  us  that  we  could  not  as- 
cend,  that  tlie  snow  yet  covered  all  the  mountains.  They  had 
a  hard  time  beating  this  into  our  understanding,  for  it  looked 
like  summer  at  Georgetown.  But  that  was  not  the  point — • 
we  were  bound  to  set  our  feet  on  the  summit  of  Gray's  Peak, 
or  fail  trying :  so  they  told  us  that  just  before  day -break 
would  be  the  best  time  to  ascend,  as  the  crust  would  then  bear 
us  up  without  snow-shoes ;  besides,  we  could  then  obtain  a 
grand  view  of  sunrise  upon  the  mountains.  No  doubt  they 
thoufrht  this  would  be  a  stunner.  But  not  so  ;  we  were  de- 
lighted  with  the  idea.  How  romantic;  nothing  could  be 
wilder ! 

So,  as  evening  was  throwing  her  dark  mantle  over  those 
moimtains,  we  started  up  the  principal  gorge,  with  the  dash- 
ing stream  far  beneath  us  like  a  streak  of  silver  light  seen  by 
glimpses  through  openings  in  spruce  and  pine.  The  dark 
rocks  reached  up  half  a  mile  or  a  mile  on  either  side  of  the 
chasm,  over  which  a  pitchy  cloud  soon  moved,  but  only  to 
brinof  out  the  stars  which  shone  from  the  entrance  to  shafts, 
tunnels,  or  doors  of  miners'  cabins,  Avhose  houses  seemed  in 
the  sky  up  the  sides  of  those  eternal  rocks.  We  thought 
that  now  their  damp,  dreary  day's  work  was  done,  and  that 
they  were  preparing  their  little  meals,  soon  to  lie  down  and 

dream  of  finding  gold  as  abundant  as  stones,  and  then  of  has- 
4  49 


50  NIGHT  ON  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

tening  home  to  far  distant  friends  awaiting  their  coming. 

Occasionally  we  passed  a  large  quartz  mill  with  lights  in 
the  windows.  Thump,  thump  went  the  fall  of  the  iron- 
heeled  stampers,  night  and  day.  "We  heard  the  heavy  jarring 
sound  until  lost  in  the  roar  of  the  stream.  The  sound  was 
as  though  the  gods  were  still  forging  those  mountains. 

About  midnight  we  were  tired.  The  snow  began  to  lay 
around  in  great  patches ;  but  we  found  a  dry  place  among 
some  willows,  and  built  a  lire.  The  cold  wind  came  whistlinor 
through  like  mournful  music,  as  we  crouched  low,  and  curled 
around  the  fire,  while  the  ponies  forced  their  way  into  the 
brush,  and  stood  with  their  heads  over  us.  "When  we  fell 
asleep  the  fire  managed  to  die  out,  as  we  had  nothing  larger 
than  willows  to  feed  it.  In  a  couple  of  hours,  the  sky  being 
clear,  we  hastily  ate  a  bite  with  our  chattering  teeth,  and  long 
before  the  stars  drawing  the  rosy-M'heeled  chariot  of  morning 
appeared,  we  were  on  our  way  exultant  with  the  thought  of 
standing  on  that  lofty  outlook  of  heaven  and  beholding  from 
its  summit  the  Flaming  Hider  with  reins  of  fire  burst  through 
the  mantle  of  night,  casting  a  myriad  of  golden  wreaths  upon 
a  world  of  marble  brows — first  upon  the  one  touched  by  our 
feet,  then  upon  one  far  remote,  then  upon  another,  and 
another,  until  descending  lace  of  transparency  had  fallen 
over  each  pure  M'hite  breast.  Then,  sitting  down  on  this  pil- 
lar of  the  sky,  we  would  watch  the  playing  lights  and  shad- 
ows of  the  peaks  across  the  mighty  chasms  between. 

Soon  the  forest  became  so  dense  that  it  was  almost  impossi- 
ble to  ride  farther.  But  I  had  scarcely  dismounted,  when 
before  me  was  an  animal  apparently  as  large  as  a  tiger. 
I  suppose  my  lively  imagination  exaggerated  the  size,  for  the 
innocent  creature  turned  and  ran  oft'  through  the  starlight 
before  I  had  shown  my  courage  by  remounting.  "Well,  it  is 
something  to  see  a  large  panther  in  the  woods,  and  know  how 
it  feels  to  be  scared,  after  all. 

Hitching  our  ponies,  we  started  on  foot,  giving  us  a  splen- 
did opportunity  of  warming  ourselves.  In  crossing  the 
stream  we  got  a  view  of  the  peak  before  us — more,  we  got 


ENTOCXTER  WILD  BEASTS. 


51 


onr  boots  full  of  water,  but  that  only  made  us  care  nothing 
for  the  snow. 

Just  before  the  sun  arose  we  luid  come  out  from  under 
the  forest,  and  were  commencing  the  ascension  of  the  i)(i-dk, 
which  was  Avithout  trees. 

"  Look  toward  the  summit,  Caleb,  what  does  that  mean  ? " 

"  Those  are  tracks,  sure." 

"  Of  what  ?  Kot  men,  for  they  told  us  at  Georfjetown 
none  had  yet  ascended." 

"  From  the  way  they  have  plowed  down  the  side,  I  should 
judge  they  must  have  been  grizzlies." 

Instinctively  Ave  halted ;  but  it  was  only  a  moment ;  we 
had  endured  too  much  to  turn  back  now ;   besides,  Wildair 


A    MCTCAL    SCARE. 


banished  fear  by  flourishing  his  "  pepper  box."  It  wouldn't 
salt  a  prairie-dog — but  he  verily  seemed  to  think  it  would 
season  a  grizzly.  To  redeem  its  character  seemed  to  be  his 
idea,  while  I  lamented  I  had  left  my  "bushwhacker"  behind. 


52  SUSPICIOUS  TRACKS. 

After  more  than  an  honr's  climbing,  the  snow  liad  gradually 
become  so  steep  that  a  misstep,  or  losing  of  the  balance, 
would  have  sent  ns  rolling  wildlj,with  ever-increasing  velocity, 
toward  the  bottom.  How  carefully  we  beat  the  toes  of  our 
boots  into  the  almost  impenetrable  wall  of  snow.  It  was 
now  almost  perpendicular — we  dared  not  even  look  back. 
A  rod  more  would  brinij  ns  over  the  difficulties.  It  was 
passed,  and  we  felt  relieved.  But  look  ;  we  gaze  with  aston- 
ishment upon  a  mighty  basin. 

"  Oh,  Wildair,  what  a  scene ;  I  never  saw  anything  like  it 
before ! " 

"It  looks  like  the  billows  of  the  storm-tossed  ocean." 

"  Or  like  the  frozen  crater  of  a  volcano." 

"  Caleb,  do  you  remember  those  great  bear  tracks  ?  Here 
is  where  they  end  ! " 

"  I  see  where  they  started,  too."     (Using  the  glass.) 

"  From  that  perpendicular  rock  almost  at  the  very  summit." 

"Wildair,  I  understand  the  mysterious  bear  tracks  now." 

"80  do  I;"  and  both  at  once  tried  to  explain,  the  one  to 
the  other,  how  small  pieces  of  stone  had  crumbled  off  of  the 
great  rock  when  the  side  had 'been  warmed  by  tlie  sun,  to  go 
rolling  upon  the  softened  snow,  collecting  with  every  roll, 
augmenting  at  each  bound,  until  finally  every  leap  became 
as  the  plunge  of  a  ship,  finally  bursting,  and  heaving  at  the 
bottom  as  breakers  against  the  shore.  "We  had  fun  scramb- 
ling over  these  billows,  and  fun  ascending  where  the  snow- 
balls had  plowed. 

Then  it  entered  our  mind,  what  sport  for  a  party  of 
boys  and  girls  to  snowball  on  the  side  of  this  mountain  of  a 
warm  afternoon,  when  the  showering  balls  Avould  fall  to  chase 
each  other  like  rolling  moons.  But  if  one  of  the  parties 
should  stumble,  somebodv's  darliuir  would  soon  be  but  a  sweet 
coriander  seed  in  the  centre  of  a  tremendous  rolling  snow-ball. 
Only  the  sun  could  suck  her  out. 

By  and  by  we  arrived  at  the  rocks  from  whence  the  snow- 
balls started.  As  we  passed  up  among  them  we  came  upon 
some  white  pigeons  which  lost  their  wits  and  fluttered  about 


OUR  HAPPINESS  GOKE.  53 

dumb-puzzled ;  we  also  saw  the  tracks  of  Rocky  Mountain 
sheep. 

From  these  heights  we  started  large  stones  from  their  bal- 
ance, which  went  crashing  down,  loosing  a  multitude  of 
others  in  their  course,  all  racing  over  the  yet  frozen  snow  at 
niarvelously  increasing  speed. 

A  few  more  hard  scrambles,  each  trying  to  be  the  first  to 
enjov  the  scene,  brought  us  to  the  summit  which  had  so  long 
evaded  our  approach.  The  view  which  opened  around  us 
is  beyond  the  power  of  imagination  to  picture.  We  stood  in 
awe ;  but  in  a  few  moments  we  noticed  that  far  and  near 
were  peaks  higher  than  the  one  upon  which  we  stood.  Our 
happiness  was  gone.  We  knew  we  had  missed  Gray's  Peak, 
which  was  considered  the  highest  of  any  in  these  regions. 
There  were  two  that  seemed  to  equally  claim  that  distinction. 
One  was  south  of  us  across  the  principal  gorge  from  which 
we  had  ascended  ;  the  other  was  just  to  tlie  north  across  a 
branch  of  the  same  gorge.  The  thought  of  climbing  from 
the  bottom  of  the  principal  gorge  again  was  too  horrible  to 
indulge  a  moment ;  so  we  decided  that  the  peak  on  the  north 
was  the  hio-her — the  highest  of  all. 

Now,  there  were  two  ways  of  reaching  this  peak.  The 
direct  waj',  was  straight  across  the  branch  gorge ;  the 
long  way  was  by  the  ridge  leading  around  the  head  of  this 
gorge  several  miles  away,  then  back  along  the  ridge  on  the 
opposite  side.  "VVe  would  have  taken  the  ridge,  had  it  not 
been  capped  by  a  number  of  minor  peaks,  over  whose  sum- 
mits we  would  have  to  pass  before  arriving  at  the  desired 
point.     We  decided  to  cross  the  gorge. 

The  snow  on  the  north  side  was  like  feathers,  having  never 
l)een  thawed  and  frozen.  So  down  the  steep  side  we  bounded, 
leaving  deep  peg  holes  in  the  snow,  fifteen  feet  apart.  De- 
scending that  mountain  was  a  sport  next  to  fiying.  Most  of 
the  time  we  were  in  the  air,  and  when  our  feet  touched  the 
snow  it  was  as  though  the  soft  wing  of  a  bird  was  beneath 
them,  lifting  us  into  the  air.  When  near  the  bottom  we 
came  upon  the  true  tracks  of  a  bear,  and  from  their  size  we 


54:  ON  THE  SUMMIT. 

judged  they  had  been  made  by  a  grizzly.  Pines,  with  the 
arms  bent  down  by  the  snows  of  long  and  dreary  winters, 
skirted  either  side  of  the  gorge. 

Now  began  the  long  and  tedious  ascent.  When  somewhat 
above  the  top  of  the  first  peak  we  had  ascended,  we  imagined 
that  a  few  more  struggles  would  bring  us  to  the  desired  sum- 
mit ;  but  unexpectedly  there  opened  befoi'e  us  another  de- 
scenty  though  less  than  the  one  we  had  just  crossed.  Wildair 
still  preferred  to  take  the  direct  way,  while  I  chose  to  follow 
around  the  head  of  this  gorge.  As  each  was  decided  in  his 
own  opinion,  we  separated.  He  soon  became  like  a  speck 
below  me,  while  I  could  just  make  him  out,  waving  his  hat 
as  a  sign  of  triumph.  He  seemed  to  have  completed  half  his 
journey,  while  I  had  hardly  made  any  progress — indeed,  was 
slowly  climbing  farther  away. 

Finally  I  reached  the  ridge  at  the  head  of  the  new  gorge. 
I  was  now  on  the  summit  of  the  Continental  Divide.  It  was 
so  steep  before  me  that  a  stumble  would  have  sent  me  dash- 
ing hundreds  of  feet  below.  I  took  up  a  handful  of  snow, 
and  placed  it  a  yard  away  from  where  I  had  picked  it  up, 
and  that  determined  its  course  into  the  Pacific  instead  of 
down  the  Mississippi  into  the  Atlantic.  So  a  single  decision 
determined  our  course  toward  the  Pacific,  and  around  the 
world.  I  walked  on  along  this  sharp  "Back-Bone"  of  the 
continent,  looking  down  into  Middle  Park — indeed,  careful 
lest  I  should  tumble  into  it.  I  could  have  followed  this  ridge 
round  all  the  gorges  to  the  other  high  "peak"  that  had 
claimed  our  attention.  Indeed,  I  believe  I  could  have  fol- 
lowed it  far  away  to  South  Park — or,  in  the  opposite  direc- 
tion to  North  Park.  I  would  like  to  see  a  railroad  built  along 
this  "Back-Bone  of  the  AYorld."  Would  it  not  be  a  grand 
ride  through  this  Switzerland  of  America  past  the  Parks  fifty 
and  one  hundred  miles  long?  All  the  railroads  in  the  world 
could  not,  in  the  least,  compare  with  it  for  an  excursion  route. 

I  now  looked  down  at  Wildair,  who  seemed  to  be  making 
poor  speed,  having  to  rest  every  few  minutes.  Finally  we 
both  called  up  all  our  energies  as  we  neared  the  meeting 


THE  CONTINENTAL  DIVIDE.  55 

point.  I  fell  first,  and  Wildair  tumbled  across  me,  almost 
burvinfi:  me  in  the  snow. 

"  I  b-e-at  you,"  was  the  pertinent  suggestion  of  Wildair 
as  soon  as  he  could  gain  his  breath. 

"  You  di-did — "  ;  the  n't  was  cut  off  by  a  mouthful  of  snow. 

"  We'll  consider  that  when  we  are  re-sted." 

After  nine  hours  of  the  most  incessant  toil,  we  finally 
reached  the  summit.  Neither  pen  nor  pencil  can  reproduce 
the  scene  which  confronted  us  on  every  side.  One  could 
onlv  feel  in  silence,  rather  than  exclaim — What  an  elevation, 
what  yawning  chasms,  what  vastness  around  !  One  snow- 
white  range  or  peak  beyond  another  until  the  eye  was  led 
awa\'  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles,  through  an  atmosphere  so 
pure  that  even  at  night  a  mountain  at  that  distance  can  be 
(listinctly  seen. 

Middle  Park,  comprising  an  area  much  greater  than  that  of 
Rhode  Island,  lay  beneath  our  feet  and  seemed  like  a  deep- 
sunk  gem  of  green  with  snowy  fingers  grasping  it  from  cir- 
cumference to  center.  Beyond  were  the  unexplored  moun- 
tains. South  Park,  across  two  ranges,  with  its  green-tinted 
basin  rimmed  with  evergreen,  nestled  in  the  everlasting  hills, 
and  seemed  to  perform  no  part  except  to  add  beauty  to  the 
snow-clad  mountains  around. 

Then  we  cast  our  eyes  toward  the  plains,  but  their  endless 
carpet  of  green  opening  far  beyond  Denver,  seemed  to  be 
but  the  foot-stool  to  these  spotless  sanctuaries  of  the  skies. 

The  high  upland  prairies  of  North  Park  led  the  eye  to  the 
border  of  the  territory,  but  beyond,  the  peaks  of  the  Conti- 
nental Divide  reached  into  the  unseen. 

The  Continental  Divide  mustered  its  hosts  from  the  hori- 
zon in  the  northwest  to  the  horizon  in  the  south,  ]")resenting 
a  line  of  about  three  hundred  miles  of  peaks,  sc]>arated  by 
depressions  like  hanging  festoons.  About  one-half  of  the 
distance  was  taken  up  in  a  grand  sweep  around  three  sides  of 
Middle  Park,  branch  ranj^es  shootinj?  off  from  the  anijles  to 
complete  the  enclosure  of  the  Parks — each  branch  range  per- 
haps forming  a  divide  between  two  great  rivers  on  the  same 


56  .  DOWN  THE  MOUNTAIN. 

side  of  the  Continental  Divide.  It  is  as  difficult  foT  this  or 
any  range  to  run  a  long  distance  in  one  direction  without 
branching,  changing  its  base  of  operation,  or  breaking  sud- 
denly up,  as  it  is  for  a  school-boy  to  cover  his  ball  without 
having  branch  seams. 

These  branching  streams  or  veins  among  the  mountains 
are  constantly  wearing  them  away,  and  bearing  portions  of 
them,  age  after  age,  into  the  ocean,  or  over  the  valleys. 

When  the  sun  was  well  along  in  the  western  sky  w^e  went 
jumping  down  the  mountain  side,  but  were  not  long  in  find- 
ing that  our  springs  were  considerably  worn.  In  truth  we 
felt  like  old  wagons,  and  concluded  to  try  turning  ourselves 
into  sleighs ;  so,  sitting  down  upon  the  soft  snow,  we  slipped 
and  ploughed  our  way  downward,  regardless  of  our  panta- 
loons, until,  finding  ourselves  going  too  fast,  we  used  our 
heels  and  hands  as  brakes.  The  sport  was  fine,  and  we  struck 
up  a  race,  letting  our  sleds  out  at  a  pretty  rapid  rate.  I  was 
heavier  than  Wildair ;  and  was  gaining,  I  thought,  a  slight 
advantage  of  him  in  the  ride,  when  suddenly  we  approached 
a  point  in  the  side  of  the  mountain,  where  the  grade  became 
rapidly  steeper.  We  slapped  on  the  brakes  with  a  vim,  but 
instead  of  slackening  the  speed  the  snow  clogged  in  front  of 
our  hands  and  feet,  the  quantity  increasing  as  we  shot  down- 
ward. To  my  sorrow,  my  sleigh  was  now  driven  decidedly 
faster  than  that  of  Wildair,  and  was  becoming  so  large  that 
I  feared  it  would  begin  to  roll.  When  I  reached  the  bottom 
I  was  driven  clear  through  it.  Looking  up  from  the  tum- 
bling snow  which  almost  buried  me,  I  saw  Wildair  sitting 
upon  his  snowball,  which  was  twenty  feet  high.  He  after- 
wards said,  that  from  the  way  I  looked  up  I  must  have 
thought  an  avalanche  was  coming  upon  me.  When  composed 
I  halloed : 

"IIo!  Wildair,  I  beat  you  badly  that  time." 

"Yes,  I  confess  you  did;  you  look  like  a  gorilla  frozen 
fast  in  an  iceberg ! " 

"  Come,  come,  now — just  be  neighborly  for  once  and  step 
down  and  help  me  out  of  this." 


AT  THE  FOOT. 


57 


"  Stars !  j'ou  have  the  advantage  of  me  now ;  how  the 
bhazes  do  jou  imagine  I  am  to  get  down  there  ?  " 

"  You'll  be  down  before  you're  aware  of  it,  I  am  thinking." 

Finally  he  did  jump  from  his  ball  to  mine  and  dug  me 
out. 

On  looking  around  we  found  that  we  had  descended  the 
peak  just  below  where  the  gorge  forked.  Our  ponies  had 
broken  loose  and  were  browsing  near  where  we  left  them  at 
daybreak. 
AYe  felt  like 
b  rowsing^ 
too,  for  we 
had  eaten 
nothing  since 
long  before 
that  time,  as 
we  ex])ected 
to  return  to 
Georgetown , 
for  dinner. 
Our  boots 
were  like  wet 
rags,  vet  our 
other  clotli- 
ins^  had  no 
reason  to  be 
ashamed  of 
them.     It  was  nearly  dark  when  we  reached  Georgetown. 

Soon  afterwards  we  crossed  a  low  mountain  ranjje  to  the 
head  waters  of  North  Clear  Creek.  Here  we  found  a  ditch 
Avinding  along  near  the  summit  of  the  ridge,  conducting  wa- 
ter to  some  of  the  dry  mountain  gorges  to  be  used  in  washing 
out  the  shining  metals.  Around  us,  and  for  many  miles  in 
front,  the  mountain  sides  were  thickly  covered  with  stumps 
of  trees  which  had  been  cut  for  running  quartz  mills  and 
propping  the  walls  of  the  mines.  The  mountain  sides  had, 
during  jiast  ages,  crumbled  down  into  slopes,  but  almost  every 


DESCENDING.  THE    MOUNTAIN. 


58  CITIES  IN  THE  WILDERNESS. 

square  rod  had  a  freshly  dug  pit.  Out  of  part  of  these  the 
miners  were  taking  a  soft  ore  containing  small  particles  of 
free  gold  that  were  easily  separated. 

Here  and  near  by  we  found  three  cities — l^evada,  Central, 
and  Black  Ilawk — as  closely  united  as  the  three  Fates  of  old. 
We  imagined  ourselves  Indians  coming  out  of  the  wilds  of 
the  West,  now  for  the  first  time  looking  upon  a  city,  so  strange 
and  unexpected  did  these  high  walls  and  rich  and  stylish 
streets  appear.  I  am  not  sure  but  the  Indian  on  his  pony 
would  have  felt  more  at  home  than  we  did  on  ours,  looking 
as  we  did.  Mincing  ladies,  in  silks  and  ruffles,  walked  the 
streets,  or  looked  out  of  windows  hung  with  lace. 

Concluding  to  sell  our  ponies,  we  rode  around  to  the  differ- 
ent livery  stables.  It  was  fun  to  see  the  curiosity  of  the  col- 
lecting crowds  at  these  places.  No  one  offered  to  buy  our 
ponies  excepting  a  drunken  man,  and  his  comrades  wouldn't 
let  him  pay  us  the  money. 

We  knew  that  ponies  were  selling  very  low  at  Denver  at 
that  time  ;  so  I,  as  well  as  Caleb,  thought  we  had  better  try  to 
sell  before  we  got  there.  When  a  mile  or  two  out  of  Central 
City,  upon  the  old  road  to  Denver,  we  stopped  at  an  old 
stage  station  to  try  our  luck.  A  couple  of  gentlemen  seemed 
inclined  to  purchase.  Caleb  asked  fifty  dollars  for  Indian, 
while  I  thought  Slam  was  larger  and  finer  looking;  some- 
how, just  then,  too,  it  crept  into  my  head  that  he  was  getting 
better  of  his  stiffness ;  so  I  put  him  at  sixty  dollars. 

After  looking  at  Slam  a  few  moments,  they  paid  their  en- 
tire attention  to  Caleb's  Indian.  All  I  said  seemed,  to  my 
indignation,  to  fall  unnoticed  upon  their  ears.  One  of  them 
offered  Caleb  a  shot  gun  and  a  few  dollars  in  cash  for  Indian. 
Of  course  Caleb  didn't  want  the  shot  gun.  The  other  offered 
him  forty-five  dollars.  That  was  not  Caleb's  price,  and  so 
we  started  on. 

When  a  few  yards  away  "  Shot  Gun  "  called  to  us  to  return. 
We  rode  back.  lie  brought  out  his  wife's  gold  watch,  offer- 
ing that  as  an  even  trade  for  Indian.  In  a  moment  his  wife 
came  out  on  the  portico  and  said  that  she  "  did  not  want  to 


SLAM  AND  HIS  SLANDERERS  59 

part  with  the  watch,"  that  she  "  wouldn't  have  such  a  pony," 
and  that  she  "  would  never  go  to  church  with  her  husband  if 
he  got  such  a  thing."  • 

Still  her  husband  wanted  to  trade.  Caleb  did  not  want  the 
watch,  and  thought  she  needed  to  go  to  church. 

As  we  were  about  to  depart,  his  "  angel  of  sweetness  "  said 
that  she  would  let  the  watch  go.  The  husband  remarked,  as 
he  had  before,  that  "  it  was  not  running  just  at  that  time,  it 
needed  cleaning,  but  that  it  was  a  No.  1  time-keeper."  A 
little  spoiled  girl  holding  her  father's  hand,  just  then  re- 
marked : 

"  The  watch  won't  run." 

"It  is  not  running  just  now." 

"  It  never  would  run." 

Both  father  and  mother  looked  sheepish,  grinned  at  each 
other,  and  we  rode  off. 

In  half  an  hour  we  stopped  beside  a  spring  to  let  our  po- 
nies graze  awhile.  Looking  down  the  road,  we  saw  a  couple 
of  horsemen  with  guns  on  their  shoulders.  They  were  riding 
toward  us. 

"  Caleb !  yonder  come  those  very  men." 

"  Wonder  what  that  means." 

In  a  moment  they  spoke  to  us  and  said  that  they  had  fol- 
lowed a  pathway  down  into  the  woods,  hunting  squirrels,  and 
were  returning  by  this  road.  They  started  on.  Shortly, 
back  trotted  the  one  who  had  made  the  cash  offer,  gave  Caleb 
his  price,  and  led  away  his  Indian.  They  had  slighted  Slam 
almost  from  the  very  first.  I  was  not  feeling  very  well  over 
that,  and  as  Indian  was  led  awav  I  remarked  to  the  man : 

"  You  will  be  hunting  squirrels  towards  Denver.  "When 
you  meet  us  I  suppose  you  will  buy  my  pony." 

His  answer  was,  "  Your  pony  isn't  worth  the  little  end  of 
nothing  whittled  down  to  a  point." 

Many  a  time  I  have  tried  to  think  of  my  reply,  but  never 
could,  and  Caleb  never  could. 

From  this  place  to  Golden  City,  Caleb  and  I  took  turns 
riding  and  walking.  "We  met  several  parties  with  teams,  and 
asked  them: 


60  ARRIVAL  AT  GOLDEN  CITY. 

"  Are  you  wanting  Slam  ?  O  !  excuse  me  I  mean  a  pony." 
Slam  was  in  every  respect  gentle,  except  when  any  one 
wanted  to  look  at  his  teeth.  I  was  very  glad  of  that,  but  I 
can  solemnly  swear  I  never  taught  him  that  trick.  Only  one 
man  was  ever  able  to  look  into  his  mouth,  and  he  remarked, 
after  his  scrutiny  was  over — 

"  I  can't  tell  within  sixteen  years  of  his  age." 
From  time  to  time,  as  the  pony  jerked  away  I  thought  I 
was  all  right,  but  at  an  unexpected  moment  I  would  hear  that 
ominous  demand,  "  Let's  see  him  move."     That  was  sufficient 
— they  never  bought. 

As  we  were  getting  on  toward  Golden  City,  we  met  some 
miners  on  their  way  to  the  mountains.  Our  clothes  were,  to 
say  the  least,  slightly  dilapidated.  We  had  not  been  bush- 
w^hackiug,  but  the  bushes  had  been  whacking  us.  Eight 
here  you  will  remember  that  at  the  time  of  the  gold  excite- 
ment at  Pike's  Peak,  many  had  written  upon  their  wagons  as 
they  crossed  the  plains,  "  Pike's  Peak  or  Bust."  In  a  short 
time  they  were  to  be  seen  returning  with  this  inscription  in- 
stead, "  Busted  by  Thunder."  So  these  parties  we  were 
meeting  seemed  to  think  we  should  bear  the  latter  inscription, 
and  one  man  had  the  impudence  to  pretend  to  see  it  and  to 
read  it  aloud  for  the  benefit  of  his  friends.  I  returned  the 
compliment  by  making  sundry  gestures  indicative  of  derision, 
and  by  informing  him  that  the  sooner  he  got  his  companions 
to  hoop  him  the  better. 

We  arrived  at  Golden  City  toward  sundown,  tied  Slam  in 
front  of  a  hotel  and  made  inquiries  in  regard  to  selling.  I 
had  now  come  down  to  fifty-five  dollars,  the  price  I  gave  for 
him.  I  did  not  like  to  lose  on  him,  even  were  he  of  no  ac- 
count. After  some  inquiry,  a  boy  told  me  he  was  wanting  a 
pony  on  which  to  herd  cattle,  and  thought  his  father  would 
buy.  He  pointed  me  across  to  his  father's  store.  I  rode 
over  that  May  shortly,  and  the  father  and  son  came  out.  In 
a  few  minutes  a  crowd  irathered  around.  Two  or  three  at- 
tempts  were  made  to  look  into  Slam's  mouth.  Being  true  to 
the  teachings  of  a  former  master  he  was  ashamed  of  his  age, 


SLAM  GETS  EXCITED.  61 

even  jerking  loose  as  they  twisted  his  upper  lip  to  hold  him. 
He  showed  the  white  of  hig  eyes,  pricked  up  his  ears,  ap- 
peared to  be  full  of  life  and  tire — the  most  deceiving  pony  in 
all  Colorado,  no  doubt. 

The  father  talked  of  buying.  lie  had  not  seen  him  move, 
our  knew  his  age,  and  I  thought  I  was  all  right.  In  a  mo- 
ment he  wanted  his  boy  to  get  on  and  try  him.  My  hopes 
fell  at  once;  his  movement  had  blasted  the  prospect  of  sale 
several  times  before.  As  the  boy  started  around  behind  to 
get  on  from  the  other  side,  the  pony  kicked,  striking  him  on 
the  leg,  and  sending  him  whirling  to  the  ground.  The  fright- 
ened father  picked  up  the  crying  boy.  I  cannot  say  I  Manted 
to  see  the  boy  hurt ;  still,  it  was  a  great  relief.  However,  I 
was  astonished  at  Slam,  in  fact,  didn't  know  he  could  get  his 
heels  that  high.  In  a  moment  the  boy  was  better.  The 
father  remarked : 

"  That's  the  kind  of  pony  you  are  trying  to  sell,  is  it  ?  " 

"You  mistake  your  man,  sir — I  never  knew  him  to  make 
any  signs  of  such  a  thing  before." 

Still,  the  father  was  afraid  of  Slam. 

Said  I,  "  Should  there  be  any  wild  fire  in  him,  which  I  do 
not  admit,  the  herding  of  cattle  will  soon  extinguish  it." 

Still,  I  was  not  believed,  and  such  remarks  as  these  were 
going  the  round  :  "  Bet  there's  lire  in  that  pony  !  "  "  Look 
at  the  snap  of  his  eye !  " 

From  his  looks,  no  doubt,  at  one  time  these  remarks  would 
have  been  appropriate,  but  from  abuse  and  old  age  those  days 
had  passed  many  years  since. 

By  this  time  the  crowd  had  grown  to  be  immense.  Some 
said  "  Let's  see  him  move,"  and  desired  that  I  should  ride 
him  up  and  dovm  the  street.  I  rather  demurred,  but  that 
wouldn't  do ;  so  I  mounted  him.  Ko  doubt  they  expected 
to  see  me  whirled  to  the  ground  before  I  should  be  seated  in 
the  saddle.  I  administered  two  or  three  spurs;  he  started 
off-on-a-slow-walk.  From  some  cause,  he  was  worse  than 
usual.  Tavo  or  three  cried  out :  "  Move  him  up  ! "  I  knew 
this  was  next  to  impossible  without  making  an  ass  of  myself, 


62  THE  TOWN  "BUSTED." 

but  gave  Slam  several  terrible  prods  from  the  side  opposite 
the  crowd,  concealing  my  efforts  as  much  as  possible.  He 
bent  his  body  from  the  spur,  and  moved  off  in  a  slow,  wrig- 
gling, dragging,  circling  trot.  The  crowd  burst  into  laughter, 
and  cheers  rent  the  air.  Men  waved  their  hats  and  tumbled 
over  each  other !  That  was  too  much.  I  turned  partly  upon 
my  saddle,  and  attempted  to  speak.  There  was  a  lull  after  a 
storm. 

"  Gentlemen,  if  I  knew  who  it  was  that  poisoned  my  pony, 
I  would  "— 

The  storm  of  laughter  opened  anew  !  The  town  "  busted : " 
windows  and  doors  opened — crowds  came  flocking  from  all 
directions.  As  I  passed  down  the  street — for  I  didn't  re- 
turn— the  boys  followed  me  as  though  I  were  a  circus  me- 
naofcrie.  The  thoucrht  struck  me  that  I  M'ould  iret  out  of  that 
as  soon  as  possible !  How  I  spurred  !  Every  time  I  let  up, 
the  pony  let  np — in  fact,  would  have  stopped  short  had  1  not 
continued  spurring.  I  was  the  target  for  laughter  from  every 
window,  and  from  everv  crowd  that  collected  as  I  ioirired 
along.  Shortly  I  espied  Caleb  in  the  crowd,  laughing  like 
the  rest,  and  knew  that  he  had  seen  it  all.  I  could  not  blame 
him,  but  had  he  been  in  my  grasp  just  then  1  would  have 
wrung  his  neck. 

At  the  hotel  I  alighted.     Caleb  stepped  up  to  me.    Said  I : 

"  When  I  get  this  pony  down  to  the  barn,  I  am  going  to 
pull  out  my  revolver,  put  it  to  his  ear,  deliberately  pull  the 
trigger,  and  see  if  he  will  go  to  sleep  over  that." 

"We  took  him  down  to  the  barn. 

"Now,  Caleb,  I  can't  forgive  this  pony — it  is  utterly  im- 
possible; but  as  you  are  of  a  religious  turn  of  mind,  and  as 
I  have  some  money  at  stake,  I  will  desist  if  you  will  pro- 
nounce a  long,  solemn  blessing  over  him  and  his  descend- 
ants forever." 

Not  saying  whether  Caleb  pronounced  the  blessing  or  not. 
I  soon  got  Slam  some  corn  meal  to  eat,  not  for  an}-  love  1 
bore  toward  him,  but  because  I  wanted  him  to  pick  up  during 
the  night,  for  he  was  to  be  sold  or  given  away  in  the  morn- 


MY  RIDE  TOWARDS  DENVER.  63 

ingr.  As  rejjards  the  meal,  I  did  not  feed  liim  Avith  that  be- 
cause  he  couldn't  eat  corn — oh,  no  ! 

Next  morning  Caleb  took  the  cars  for  Denver,  twelve  or 
fifteen  miles  away,  while  I  rode  my  "  fine  stock."  1  didn't 
try  to  sell  him  any  more  in  Golden  City ;  he  had  a  reputa- 
tion all  over  town. 

On  my  way  to  Denver  I  met  several  parties,  but  they 
wouldn't  bu\' ;  they  had  seen  his  gait  as  I  rode  along.  1  was 
now  pretty  well  toward  Denver.  "  Yonder,  probably,  is  my 
last  chance,"  I  said  to  myself  as  I  saw  a  couple  of  mule  teams 
hauling  flour  into  the  mountains,  a  man  driving  the  first  team, 
and  his  boy  the  second  one.  I  knew  it  wouldn't  do  to  let 
them  see  the  movement  of  Slam,  so  something  began  to  be 
the  matter  with  the  girth,  and  I  stopped  to  fix  it.  I  did  not 
want  to  deceive  any  one,  but  when  anything  is  the  matter 
with  the  girth,  it  must  be  fixed !  As  the  team  passed  by  me 
I  was  mounting. 

"Are  you  wanting  to  buy  a  pony  ? " 

"  How  much  do  you  ask  for  him  ?  " 

<'  Fifty-five  dollars." 

The  father  got  out  to  look  at  him. 

"  His  back  is  sore,  isn't  it  ? " 

I  told  him  I  was  merely  fixing  the  girth,  at  the  same  time 
showing  him  that  the  back  was  all  right ;  also  said  that  I  had 
been  riding  him  hard  for  the  last  three  weeks  through  the 
mountains,  and  that  he  needed  rest.  Wasn't  that  the  truth  ? 
Surely,  if  Slam  didn't  need  rest,  no  pony  ever  did ! 

"I  will  give  you  fifty-two  dollars  for  him  ;  that  is  all  the 
money  I  have  to  spare,  with  me." 

I  hesitated  a  moment  as  thouirh  not  too  anxious,  and  only  a 
moment.  He  might  call  upon  me  to  make  him  move,  and 
of  course  that  would  be  the  end  of  the  thinir.  ]S^o^v  I 
asked  him  Avhat  he  would  give  me  for  the  saddle.  He  said 
that  he  had  one  already.  So  I  pulled  it  off,  and  by  one  stir- 
rup threw  it  across  my  shoulder.  The  man  got  out  a  rope 
by  which  to  lead  the  pony  at  the  hind  end  of  the  wagon. 
I  scarcely  knew  what  to  say  to  that,  for  I  knew  that  Slam  was 


64 


SOLD  AT  LAST. 


the  meanest  thing  on  earth  to  lead  ;  I  had  pulled  at  him  some- 
times, and  the  harder  I  pulled  the  harder  he  held  back.  The 
only  possible  way  to  get  him  along  was  to  walk  by  his  side 
and  punch  him  up,  or  get  behind  and  twist  his  tail.  How- 
ever, I  merely  told  the  man  that  he  didn't  lead  very  well,  as 


SLAM    AND   HIS    BUYKR. 


I  knew  he  wouldn't  be  any  the  better  pleased  with  his  riding 
should  he  attempt  getting  him  along  in  that  way  ;  and  more, 
I  never  like  to  destroy  any  one's  felicity.  I  bade  him  good 
morning,  and  started  off  toward  Denver  on  a  pretty  round 
pace,  the  saddle  stirrup  and  skirts  dangling  and  flapping  in 
the  air. 

When  a  few  hundred  yards  away,  I  glanced  round,  and 
they  were  just  ready  to  start.  Slam  being  tied  behind.  They 
started.  Slam  pulled  back.  They  stopped  a  moment  and 
started  on.  Slam  braced  his  feet  and  slid  along,  then  began 
rearing  and  throwing  himself  back  with  the  greatest  violence. 
Now  I  heard  something  crack.     Out  came  the  tail-gate,  two 


FINAL  CATASTROPHE.  65 

or  three  sacks  of  flour  tumbling  on  to  the  ground.  The  old 
man  scrambled  to  the  back  end  of  the  wagon,  glanced  at  the 
sacks,  then  at  me,  shaking  his  fist  violently. 

"  Come  back,  you  rascal !  " 

I  trudged  on  faster  than  ever.  Slam  sauntered  out  to  one 
eide.  In  a  moment  the  old  man  was  out  to  catch  him.  Gen- 
erally he  was  easily  caught,  but  now  he  started  off  on  a  stiff, 
unearthly  trot.  The  old  man  halted,  stood,  and  stared,  then 
turned  toward  me,  cracking  his  fists.  I  trudged  on,  and 
Boon  disappeared  over  a  hill,  and  never  learned  whether  the 
old  man  and  his  boy  left  Slam  upon  the  prairie,  or  shot  him 
for  l)reaking  their  wagon. 

Soon  I  was  at  Denver  with  a  saddle  on  my  shoulder,  look- 
ing a  little  rough  from  having  been  tearing  through  the 
mountains  for  the  last  three  weeks.  At  home,  as  a  choice,  it 
•would  have  been  preferable  riding  a  goat  up  town  to  walking 
the  streets  as  I  looked.  But  what  did  I  care  ?  I  was  doing 
no  wrong,  and  the  faces  of  the  people  were  strange  to  me, 
and  I  never  expected  to  see  them  again.  My  saddle  disposed 
of,  I  walked  into  a  store,  bought  a  new  suit  from  head  to 
foot,  and  stepped  over  to  the  hotel,  where  I  found  Caleb. 
Of  course  1  told  him  I  had  sold  Slam  and  how  I  sold  him. 
lie  was  delighted  that  I  had  disposed  of  him,  yet  somewhat 
sorr}'  for  the  unhappy  man  who  had  been  his  purchaser. 

I  had  become  so  used  to  spurring  when  riding  Slam,  that  it 
■was  some  time  before  I  got  over  the  habit.  Judging  from 
the  way  the  sheets  of  my  bed  were  torn  one  morning,  one 
would  think  I  had  been  having  a  terrible  encounter  with  a 
night-mare — but  it  was  only  a  ride  through  dreamland  on 
that  "  boss."  Poor  fellow,  I  fear  he  never  lived  to  see  the 
epizootic ! 


CHAPTER  Y. 
OYER  THE  MOUNTAINS  BY  EAIL. 

FAR  out  from  the  habitation  of  man,  amid  the  wild,  wild 
mountains,  we  passed  a  wanderer.  He  had  no  home,  no 
friends,  nor  wished  for  any  ;  yet  he  was  not  lonely,  he  knew 
every  mountain,  every  rock,  far  and  near.  His  camping 
ground  extended  from  Washington  Territory  to  Texas.  He 
was  driving  a  couple  of  Mexican  donkeys  followed  by  a  play- 
ful colt  that  sported  and  kicked  its  heels  around  its  loaded 
Ma  and  Pa,  and  at  night  looked  in  at  the  tent  door  beside 
the  dog. 

Once  a  year  he  went  to  Denver,  or  "  Frisco,"  or  Galves- 
ton, or  Portland,  to  sell  his  furs  and  buy  a  sack  of  flour,  then 
wandered  leisurely  back  from  the  haunts  of  men,  contented 
and  happy,  with  no  one's  whims  or  fancies  to  please,  and  no 
one's  tongue  or  frowns  to  fear.  But  still  he  was  sociable,  and 
manifested  an  extreme  delight  in  pouring  into  our  eager  ears 
the  many  strange  stories  and  wild  adventures  of  his  life,  as 
we  sat  one  evening  around  his  camp  fire,  which  happened  to 
be  in  sight  of  our  own. 

Out  from  those  retreats  -vve  came  and  took  our  seats  in  a 

palace  car,  shooting  along  without  a  quiver,  the  snowy  peaks 

of  Colorado  on  one  side,  and  the  endless  level  green  on  the 

other.     As  the  elegantly  attired  ladies  and  gentlemen  glided 

from  window  to  window,  in  ecstacy  over  the  new  world  and 

the  distant  mountains,  I  thought  of  the  thousand  scenes  hid 

amid    those  lonely  retreats   of    which    they  never   dreamed. 

"With  astonishment   they  learned    the   immense   distance   to 

66 


WESTWARD  BY  RAIL. 


67 


those  marble  looking  peaks  seen  throngli  snowy  gaps  that 
opened  to  give  us  glimpses  beyond.  We  pointed  to  our  sun- 
burned hands  and  faces  as  witnesses  that  we  had  wandered 
amid  them  and  stood  upon  their  lofty  summits,  Mhere  the 
sun  shines  without  a  screen  and  stars  look  down  in  the  day- 
time. 

At  Cheyenne  we  were  joined  by  other  passengers.  As  we 
passed  along  they  talked  about  the  mountains  as  though  we 
were  passing  among  them,  when  in  fact  we  were  not  at  any 
time  nearer  than  a  day's  ride  in  the  saddle  to  anything  the 
least  worthy  of  that  name. 

The  soil  of  these  regions  is  of  indefinite  depth,  having  been 
formed  by  the  crumbling  away  of  limestone  and  rocks,  upon 


ECSTATIC   PASSENGERS. 

which  vejjetation  has  never  vet  fairlv  taken  a  start,  but  when 
watered  and  planted  it  has  in  places  produced  abimdantly. 
That  the  increase  of  vegetation  by  means  of  irrigation  aug- 
ments the  fall  of  rain  in  that  quarter,  has  become  a  M'ell  known 
fact,  which  adds  encouragement  to  the  belief  that  those  re- 
gions as  M'ell  as  the  Plains  proper — whose  soil  by  the  way  is 
strong — will  at  some  future  day  yield  an  abundant  increase 
at  the  hand  of  the  husbandman. 

Although  this  section  is  about  seven  thousand  feet  above 


68 


MOUNTAIN  FLOWERS. 


the  level  of  the  sea,  yet  it  is  only  a  thousand  feet  above  Den- 
ver and  the  valleys  around,  and  is  hardly  as  high  as  the  parks 
and  valleys  among  the  mountains  where  it  is  known  that  an 
abundant  yield,  at  least  of  certain  kinds  of  produce,  is  the  re- 
ward of  cultivation.  Moreover  it  is  likely  that  products  will 
be  found  which  are  adapted  to  this  high  altitude,  as  moun- 


MOUNTAIN    FLORA. 


tain  flowers  and  berries  bloom   almost  among  snow  banks. 
We  have  often  stood  on  snow  and  gathered  them. 

An  hour  and  a  half  from  Cheyenne  brought  us  to  Sherman, 
the  highest  point  in  the  whole  line  of  tlie  Continental  Rail- 
road, though  little  more  than  eight  thousand  feet  above  the 
level  of  the  sea.  Thence  by  an  easy  grade  we  descended  to 
Laramie  Plains,  a  thousand  feet  below  and  green  with  sprout- 
ing grass.  This  used  to  be  an  agreeable  resting  place  for 
emigrant  trains  of  old,  affording  both  game  and  fine  pasture. 
Just  beyond  these  Plains  we  crossed  the  North  Platte,  where 
a  few  companies  of  soldiers  were  drilling. 


GREEN  RIVER. 


69 


1  _ 

THE    SERPENT    OF    THE    MOUNTAINS. 


Then  we  rolled  on,  across  tlie  Continental  Divide  so  low 
as  to  be  scarcely  noticeable.  Here  we  climbed  on  tlie  top  of 
one  of  the  cars  to  look  around,  and  could  see  distinctly  that 

the  track  wound  like  a 
jf'^ -^^     Mi  snake     around     every 

hill  and  rock — for  you 
know  the  Government 
ao;reed  to  c'ive  the 
Company  so  much  per 
mile,  besides  half  the 
land  for  twenty  miles 
on  either  side  of  the 
track.  At  times  we 
saw  snow  sheds  in  the 
distance,  and  hardly 
knew  whether  we  had  passed  throuf^h  or  were  approaching 
them. 

As  we  crossed  Green  Hiver  the  last  one  third  of  the  dis- 
tance to  Salt  Lake  began,  and  with  it  green  streaks  of  fertile 
valleys,  which  gradually  deepened  into  canons  among  which 
thrifty  Mormons  were  cultivating  small  but  beautiful  farms. 
Soon  the  walls  of  rock  became  too  narrow  for  valleys  and 
rose  boldly  hundreds  of  feet  high.  Thrilled  by  the  wildness, 
we  again  climbed  upon  one  of  the  cars,  as  the  train  thunder- 
ed faster  and  faster  down  Echo  and  Weber  Canyons,  ])ast  "  Cas- 
tle Rock,"  the  residence  of  old  King  Time  and  his  powerful 
princes,  Winds  and  Floods,  past  "Devil's  Slide"  where  from 
the  long,  deep  print  he  has  left  in  the  sloping  rock  we  should 
judge  him  to  be  twenty  or  thirty  feet  in  diameter,  by  the 
"1,000  Mile  Tree"  from  Omaha,  as  indicated  upon  a  large 
sign  suspended  from  a  limb,  on  down  the  narrowing,  deepen- 
ing canyon,  increasing  in  speed  as  the  fall  of  the  stream  in- 
creased, shooting  from  side  to  side  over  the  foaming  abyss, 
plunging  through  tunnels  in  the  side  of  the  protrviding  wall, 
the  cars  rattling,  shaking,  and  bounding,  until  we  clung  to  the 
car  from  fear  of  being  shaken  off — and  thus  we  were  ushered 
at  frightful  rapidity  from  the  monotony  and  desolation  above 


TO  THE  CITY  OF  THE  SAINTS. 

through  "  Devil's  Gate,"  full  into  the  smiling  gardens  be- 
low, embraced  and  watered  on  all  sides  by  snow-capped  moun- 
tains Avhose  forms  were  pictured  on  the  bosom  of  the  lake. 

Switching  oft' for  the  City  of  the  Saints,  we  passed  through 
level  orchards  and  gardens  flourishing  under  the  most  luxu- 
riant growth,  forming  a  scene  which  from  contrast  with  the 
outer  world  seemed  doubly  lovely,  into  the  rural  City  of  Salt 
Lake,  down  wliose  broad  and  regular  streets  ran  streams  of 
clearest  water,  giving  life  and  freshness  to  the  vast  gardens, 
and  forests  of  fruit  trees  which  almost  embowered  her  lonely 
dwellings. 

As  I  looked  upon  these  thousands  of  rural  homes  in  the 
bosom  of  plenty,  I  was  inclined  to  bless  Brigham  as  a  bene- 
factor of  his  race  sent  by  a  Avise  Providence  to  raise  up  the 
poor  and  the  needy.  Every  visitor  to  Salt  Lake  has  cursed 
"  Old  Brigham,"  so  it  does  me  good  to  remember  that  he  has 
wrenched  from  the  hand  of  the  savage  a  large  section  of  land, 
and  caused  it  to  smile  with  plenty  at  the  touch  of  industry. 

Early  on  Sabbath  morning  we  wended  our  way  along  shady 
walks  to  the  Old  Tabernacle.  We  were  shown  one  of  the 
front  seats  reserved  for  visitors,  where  we  sat  watching  the 
ignorant-looking  masses  as  they  entered.  Soon,  in  stalked  a 
long-nosed,  hollow-cheeked,  shallow-brained  looking  man 
with  his  family  of  homely-clad  wives,  daughters,  and  a  few 
boys,  perhaps  a  dozen  altogether.  Through  a  side  door  lead- 
ing directly  to  the  altar,  entered  now  and  then  one  of  the 
Twelve  Apostles,  or  a  couple  of  the  Seventy,  witli  a  very  re- 
liofious  air,  who  shook  hands  with  some  of  the  brethren. 
"When  they  had  sat  with  their  hats  on  long  enough  to  morti- 
fy all  pride  and  all  etiquette,  they  uncovered  their  apostolic 
heads. 

Following  the  singing  and  prayer,  the  Apostle  Canon,  a 
saint  of  the  largest  caliber,  poured  his  volleys  upon  us  poor 
Gentiles.  After  enumerating  the  dangers  through  which 
God  had  led  them,  and  the  blessings  he  had  conferred  upon 
them,  which  were  causes  for  the  deepest  gratitude,  he  stated 
it  Avas  a  great   work  to   which  they   were   called,  requiring 


SUNDAY  IN  THE  TABERNACLE, 


71 


SALT    LAKE    APOSTLES. 


heroic  energy  and  a  sacrificing  spirit ;  jet  God  had  promised 
tliem  the  peace  needed,  and  they  were  now,  to  some  extent 
reaping  it. 
Eut  why 
the  oppo- 
sition they 
had  a  1  - 
ways  en- 
conntered 
on  every 
hand  ?  ft 
w  0  n  1  d 
naturally 
seem  an 
argument 
a  o;  a  i  n  s  t 

them.  But  people  had  formed  wrong  opinions  of  them.  All 
reformers,  all  good  men  had  met  with  opposition  :  Christ 
himself  met  with  opposition.  The  reason  was  that  he 
who  presented  truth  had  to  meet  error,  he  who  acted  right 
had  to  comhat  with  wrong.  There  were  two  conflicting 
principles  at  work;  it  commenced  with  Cain  and  Abel,  and 
had  extended  down  to  the  present.  The  reformers  had  a 
glimpse  of  light,  and  they  met  with  opposition,  hut  they  had 
just  prepared  the  way  for  the  new  dispensation  which  was 
then  beffinnino;  to  he  nshered  in.  The  church  had  lost  its 
connection  with  God,  its  power  of  working  miracles,  and  had 
been  disorffinized  and  divided  :  so  God  sent  an  Anc^el  to 
Joseph  Smith  to  give  him  a  commission  to  restore  the  former 
modes  of  worship,  to  reorganize  the  church  according  to  its 
former  pattern,  and  to  prepare  men  for  the  receiving  of  the 
gifts  and  powers  they  once  possessed.  These  were  bestowed 
npon  the  condition  that  the^Mvould  acknowledge  them  before 
the  world,  and  their  faithfulness  to  this  injunction  was  the 
cause  of  their  persecution. 

The  spiritual  and  temporal  head  of  Mormonism  arose  to 
close   with   a  "  few   remarks,"   which  consumed  not  nnich 


•  72  THE  MORMON  BIBLE. 

short  of  half  an  hour's  time,  and  were  directed  toward  the  Gen- 
tile portion  of  the  audience  in  rather  a  boastful,  scornful  manner. 
But  he  was  the  preacher,  and  we  poor  sinners  had  to  bear  all 
he  hurled  at  us.  He  pictured  out  what  an  awful  desert  thej 
were  driven  into  ;  how  barren  the  valley  was  when  thev  ar- 
rived ;  how  the  people  came  to  him  Avith  their  discourao^e- 
ments,  but  how  God  had  quickened  the  soil  and  made  the 
valley  fruitful  like  the  promised  land,  so  that  every  stranger 
praised  the  beauty  of  the  city.  He  said  their  enemies  thought 
by  persecuting  them  and  driving  them  upon  the  desert  tliey 
would  put  a  stop  to  their  doctrines,  but  under  the  counsels 
of  heaven  it  had  resulted  only  in  proving  the  purity  of  their 
doctrines.  Xow,  instead  of  their  going  to  the  Gentiles  to 
preach,  the  latter  were  coming  to  them. 

During  the  afternoon  about  eight  thousand  people  assem- 
bled in  the  i^ew  Tabernacle — scriptural  in  name,  but  a  turtle 
in  shape.  We  admired  the  organ,  the  largest  we  have  seen  in 
America  save  the  one  in  Boston,  but  were  surprised  to  learn 
that  the  unpretending  citizen  sitting  at  my  elbow  was  its 
manufacturer.  The  discourse  consisted  of  weak  trash  poured 
out  by  one  of  the  elders,  and  was  followed  by  the  admistra- 
tion  of  the  sacrament,  or  something  like  it,  which  was  passed 
round  to  all  but  the  Gentiles. 

I  spent  a  long  time  reading  the  Mormon  bible,  and  came 
to  the  conclusion  that  none  but  the  most  ignorant  could  be 
gulled  by  such  nonsensical  trash  so  clumsily  thrown  together. 
It  was  originally  intended  for  a.  novel,  giving  in  biblical  style 
a  fictitious  account  of  the  settling  of  this  country  by  the  lost 
Tribes  of  the  Children  of  IsraeL 

Leaving  Mormonism  to  give  way  before  the  potent  influ- 
ence of  this  assimilating  age,  we  rolled  out  across  the  great 
Continental  basin  throuii'lirecrions  where  the  alkali  lavsotliick 
upon  the  barren  plain  as  at  times  to  resemble  a  fall  of  snow  ; 
where  streams  lost  themselves  in  stagnant  waters  around 
M'hich  were  the  fit  abodes  of  lizards,  reptiles,  and  low  beast- 
ly Indians ;  past  horrible  lakes  with  horrible  names,  the 
ground  here  and  there  steaming  and  puffing  with  a  sulphur- 


VISIT  TO  LAKE  TAHOE.  73 

Oils  smell ;  on  and  on  tlirongh  this  sunken  Sodom  and  Gomor- 
rah, till  one  bright  morning  we  were  ushered  out  into  that 
verdant  region  Avhere  the  tallest  pines  of  earth  lifted  their 
heads  to  the  sky,  on  the  lofty  Sierra  Nevadas. 

While  waitinij  at  Truckee  for  the  hack  that  was  to  take  us 
to  Lake  Tahoe  nestled  in  the  mountains,  we  sat  and  looked 
upon  four  out  of  the  five  races,  often  all  represented  within 
the  space  of  a  square  rod.  There  was  the  European  with  his 
noble  bearing,  the  Negro  with  his  assumed  dignity,  the 
Indian  with  his  crouching  step  and  sly  look,  and  the  China- 
man with  his  subdued,  submissive  appearance,  toiling  as 
slowly,  steadily,  and  unconcernedly  as  the  ox  beneath  his 
yoke.  As  we  passed  the  Chinamen  upon  the  broad  lonely 
desert,  tending  or  working  upon  the  railroad  track,  we  had 
often  wondered  what  he  thought  of  America,  whether  he  was 
not  lonely  so  far  away  from  home  where  his  people  by  mil- 
lions dwell,  and  earth  is  like  a  garden.  As  we  thought  of 
the  means  of  riding  in  their  country  where  two  men  become 
a  ■walking  locomotive  to  bear  a  third,  we  wondered  what  they 
thought  of  our  locomotive  whose  mouth  glares  like  the  light- 
ning, the  breath  of  whose  nostrils  is  like  the  clouds  of  heaven, 
and  the  approach  of  whose  iron  hoof  across  the  desert  or 
over  the  mountain  is  like  the  rollino;  thunder. 

The  coach  was  now  ready,  so  we  started  for  Lake  Tahoe. 
Up  a  deep  wooded  ravine  past  a  village  and  many  a  miner's 
cabin,  ?ill  now  deserted,  up  among  large,  lofty  pines,  spruces, 
and  firs,  where  cones  with  bases  a  foot  in  diameter  lay  around 
beneath  the  giant  trees,  up  where  trees  were  hidden  by  moss, 
and  the  cushioned  limbs  fell  upon  the  ground  with  a  soft 
bounce,  and  on  up  to  the  summit  rolled  our  coach.  Then 
down,  down,  we  bounded,  trying  ever  but  in  vain  to  catch  a 
glimpse  of  the  lake,  until  as  we  came  out  from  beneath  the 
forest,  the  Gem  of  the  mountains  opened  before  us — fourteen 
miles  in  leno-th  and  eig-ht  in  breadth. 

A  little  boat  coimecting  with  stage  lines  among  the  moim- 
tains  steamed  over  the  lake ;  but  we  preferred  a  skiff  ride. 
We  hardly  knew  how  to  launch  out  as  the  water  was  so  clear 


74 


THE  GEM  OF  THE  MOUNTAINS. 


N^, 


.'^■^ 


that  it  seemed  as  if  each  stroke  of  the  oar  would  send  us 
against  some  lofty  granite  boulder,  although  the  little  steamer 
had  fearlessly  rode  above  them.  As  the  water  deepened  we 
stopped  paddling,  leaving  our  skiff  to  float  out  upon  this  lower 
stratum  of  air,  as  we  imagined  it.  The  rocks  far  beneath 
us  seemed  crested  with  moss,  with   shells,  with   lime,  while 

many  rose  up  toward 
us,  bare  and  grand, 
presenting  yawning 
chasms  into  which  the 
sun  cast  peculiar  lights 
and  shadows.  Owina: 
to  the  depth  of  water 
all  were  tinged  more 
or  less  witli  a  bluish 
green.  As  we  touched 
the  waters  with  our 
THE  TRANSPARENT  GEM.  Qars  eacli  ripplc  made 

the  rocks  dance,  while  chasing  rainbows  seemed  ready  to 
carry  them  away.  AYe  paddled  out  until  the  chasms,  and  then 
the  rocks,  all  hid  themselves  in  the  beautiful  color  of  the  lake, 
^vhile  an  occasional  spotted  trout  sported  unconcerned,  per- 
haps seventy  feet  beloM'  us.  Then  we  looked  around  over 
the  lake ;  up  the  walls  of  the  basin  covered  with  impenetra- 
ble foliage  ;  above  the  green  to  the  snow-capped  peaks  nearly 
encircling  this  gem  of  the  ocean  and  sky. 

xVfter  a  bath  in  the  hot  spring  which  boiled  and  steamed 
up  through  the  cool  water  near  the  shore,  we  were  ready  for 
a  trout  dinner  at  the  hotel. 

Having  returned  to  Truckee  Ave  started  up  the  ap])arcntly 
impassable  mountains,  two  engines  tugging  andpufiing  ahead. 
Up,  up,  a  deep  gorge,  we  passed  to  and  around  its  head — then 
back  along  the  opposite  side,  leaving  the  stream  and  track  by 
its  side  farther  and  fartlier  beneath  us,  until  finally  we  Avere 
riding  around  a  point  of  the  mountain  hundreds  of  feet  above 
Truckee. 

Before  arriving  at  the  summit  of  the  mighty  Sierra  Nevada, 


J 
I 


THE  SIERRAS. 


T5 


we  saw  for  below  us  in  the  forest  shades  the  silvery  waters 
of  Doiiner  Lake,  where  an  emigrant  party  to  California,  in 
early  times,  was  overtaken  by  the  deep  snows  of  winter  and 
reduced  t6  such  straits  that  a  part  of  them  survived  upon  the 
flesh  of  those  who  died.  We  were  reminded  of  the  deptli  of 
sno^v  "which  falls  here,  by  a  single  snow  shed  twenty  miles 
in  length  which  covered  the  track  along  this  part  of  the  route. 
At  the  summit  an  ol)servation  car  was  attached  wliichgave 
an  excellent  a'Iov,-.  Down  we  almost  flew  through  a  fresh 
cool  air  that  quickened  every  nerve,  whirling  around  lofty 
mountains  whose  sides  stood  out  of  dizzy  chasms  below, 
shooting  along  the  sides  of  the  precipices  one  or  two  thou- 
sand feet  high,  past  mountains  almost  washed  away  or  cut 
in  two  by  hydraulic  mining,  always  charmed  by  extended 
views  of  mountains  with  glimpses  of  the  far  off  California 
valleys,  until  we  had  descended  seven  thousand  feet  in  one 
hundred  miles,  from  deep  iields  of  snow  into  the  scorching 
prairie  of  Sacramento  Valley,  where  wilting  vineyards  were 
watered  by  hundreds  of  fluttering  wind  mills. 


CHAPTER  YI. 
A  FLIETATION  AMONG  THE  BIG  TEEES. 

HE  AETS  were  all  aglow  in  anticipation  of  beholding  one  of 
the  grandest  scenes  in  nature.  At  5  A.  M.  all  were  stowed 
away — three  on  a  seat  inside  the  coach,  with  a  young  gentle- 
man and  two  misses  on  the  roof.  Crack  went  the  drivers 
whip,  the  horses  pranced,  and  we  were  off. 

Soon  we  learned  from  conversation,  that  one  of  the  gen- 
tlemen within,  a  line  looking  man,  was  a  judge  living  in 
Mariposa,  some  sixty -five  miles  on  our  way,  and  tliat  the 
talkative  lady,  sitting  between  the  judge  and  Caleb,  had  trav- 
eled a  great  deal ;  that  the  young  gentleman  and  one  of  tlie 
yonng  ladies  above,  were  her  son  and  daughter ;  the  other 
voung  lady  the  intended  bride  of  her  son ;  and  that  they  all 
were  from  Fifth  Avenue,  New  York,  visiting  the  wonders 
of  tlie  West. 

Soon  we  came  to  a  ferry;  the  gentlemen  climbed  out,  it 
being  sandy  on  the  banks  of  the  San  Joaquin,  and  conse- 
quently Iieavy  pulling.  I  took  advantage  of  the  opportunity 
to  cast  a  sheep' s-eye  at  the  ladies  above.  As  we  were  i-etui-n- 
ing  to  the  coach  on  the  opposite  bank,  I  caught  the  eye  of 
the  daughter,  and  I  said  to  myself,  I'll  have  a  flirtation  with 
that  belle  jet,  see  if  I  don't. 

We  were  now  passing  over  the  broad  level  valley  of  San 
Joaquin,  very  productive  generally,  but  this  season  every- 
thing was  withered  and  parched  from  the  drought.  The 
judge  pointed  to  broad  fields  of  wheat  that  would  not  be 
touched  by  the  reaper,  and  to  the  horses,  cattle,  and  sheep  by 

76 


A  TLEASIXG  ARR.VXGEMENT.  77 

the  thousands,  which  were  being  driven  to  the  foot-hills,  and 
into  the  mountains,  there  to  browse  the  grass.  Two  or  three 
times  during  the  forenoon  we  stopped  to  change  horses.  I 
never  failed  to  climb  out  to  stretch  my  limbs,  ever  ready  to 
catch  a  glimpse  of  the  young  belle  above.  But  fate  seemed 
to  be  against  me,  there  M'as  no  becoming  acquainted  while 
she  remained  where  she  was. 

At  length  noon  came,  and  we  stopped  for  dinner.  In  the 
bar-room  I  began  a  conversation  with  the  young  lady's  broth- 
er, and  made  myself  as  agi'eeable  as  possible ;  but  the  young 
ladies  did  not  aj)pear  in  the  dining-room. 

When  the  stage  was  ready  to  start  again,  the  three  young 
people  concluded  to  ride  inside,  as  several  passengers  had 
stopped  on  the  way,  and  took  possession  of  the  back  seat. 
Tor  a  time  they  talked  only  to  each  other,  but  by  and  by  the 
conversation  became  more  general.  I  was  far  more  lively 
than  in  the  forenoon,  and  by  degrees  I  directed  my  remarks 
to  the  daughter.  Everything  she  said  seemed  to  be  appre- 
ciated by  me,  and  when  others  were  talking  I  did  a  good 
deal  of  squinting  around  the  judge's  shoulders  toward  the 
object  of  my  attention.  The  judge  had  much  to  say  of  Cal- 
ifornia; the  old  lady  told  of  her  travels;  and  when  Caleb 
and  I  informed  them  that  we  were  on  a  tour  around  the 
world,  all  seemed  anxious  to  hear  our  plans. 

We  were  now  at  Mariposa,  the  home  of  the  judge,  where 
everything  was  green  and  beautiful,  and  the  crops,  watered 
by  mountain  streams,  were  growing  luxuriantly.  Here  we 
took  supper,  and  tarried  an  hour  for  rest.  The  judge,  who 
had  stopped  at  his  home  upon  our  entering  the  town,  came 
around  just  before  our  starting,  to  bid  us  good-bye.  Most  of 
our  party  were  reluctant  to  part  with  liim,  although  the 
acquaintance  had  been  brief.  But  I  remembered  his  shoulder 
had  been  in  my  way,  when  I  conversed  with  the  young  lady 
and  didn't  regret  leaving  him  behind. 

Our  carriage  was  now  an  open  one,  with  three  seats  to  be 
occupied  by  sLx  persons,  two  on  a  seat,  and  as  luck  would 
have  it  the  charming  young  lady  and  myself  were  put  on  the 
same  one.     What  could  be  nicer  ? 


7S  WILD  AIR  FALLS  IX  LOVE. 

Away  we  went  over  foot-liills,  winding  around  and  up  the 
sides  of  the  mountains,  and  I  never  was  jollier.  The  young 
lady  and  I  became  quite  intimate,  and  I  Avished  we  vreve  to 
drive  all  night,  instead  of  the  twelve  miles  which  brought  us  to 
our  stopping-place  for  the  night. 

Is^ever  had  I  seen  a  lady  who  had  so  completely  taken  my 
fancy,  and  I  felt  that  I  would  be  happy  were  this  stnge  ride 
^vith  her  to  result  in  something  more  than  a  mere  flirtation. 
For  her  sake  I  passed  a  restless  night. 

Next  day  we  again  occupied  a  seat  together,  and  soon  we 
were  winding  up  the  sides  of  the  Sierras.  It  was  splendid ; 
and  I  felt  that  she  who  sat  b}^  my  side  M^as  an  angel  of  light. 
I  enjoyed  her  smiles  and  words  a  hundred  times  more  than  I 
did  the  yarns  and  jokes  in  which  the  conductor  began  to  in- 
dulge. As  we  were  admiring  some  large  trees,  how  uninter- 
esting to  have  him  remark  : — 

"  They  are  nothing  but  hoop  poles  compared  with  the  Big 
Trees.  Six  months  since,  a  boy  M'as  started  round  one  of 
these,  and  has  not  been  heard  of  since." 

And  when  Caleb  questioned  him  in  regard  to  their  height, 
liow  very  uninteresting  to  have  him  reply  : — 

"  It's  well  known  that  one  of  them  is  so  tall  that  it  requires 
two  men  and  one  boy  standing  one  on  the  head  of  the  other, 
to  see  its  top." 

And  when  he  came  to  that  old,  old  story  of  Greeley's  ride 
down  these  mountains,  it  seemed  to  cap  the  climax  of  all 
dulliiess. 

We  had  wound  round  eight  miles  up  a  steep  grade,  almost 
to  the  summit  of  the  mountains,  and  now  began  the  descent 
of  four  miles  to  the  valley  between  the  Big  Trees  and  Yo 
Semite. 

Crack,  goes  the  driver's  whip,  accompanied  with  a  "  Git, 
climb  out  of  this,"  and  the  horses  are  on  their  heels.  Down 
we  plunge,  around  gorge,  and  point,  and  cliff,  at  break-neck 
speed,  the  road  being  barely  wide  enough  in  places  for  the 
horses.  The  stumble  of  either,  the  hubbing  of  a  rock  around 
a  point,  seemingly  must  dash  us  to  pieces. 


INCIDENT  OF  TIIE  RIDE. 


79 


Soon  we  came  to  where  the  road  was  more  level,  and  the 
horses  moved  slower.  A  thrill  of  happiness  shot  through 
me  as  I  discovered  tliat  my  arm  was  around  my  companion's 
waist,  holding  her  in.  However,  it  was  reluctantly  with- 
drawn before  she  was  compelled  to  suggest  its  removal ;  but 
just  then  I  would  haye  been  glad  of  another  plunge  down  the 
mountain  side. 

Upon  arriving  at  Clark's  we  at  once  made  arrangements 


f) 


READY    FOU    THK    PLUNGE. 


to  visit  the  Big  Trees,  five  miles  to  the  south.  The  graded 
road  had  ended,  and  now  we  were  to  take  ponies  along  a 
winding  trail.  My  belle  was  not  much  used  to  riding,  and  I 
made  myself  useful  in  every  way  possible.  I  assisted  her  to 
mount,  adjusted  her  riding  skirt,  and  then  climbed  upon  my 
own  nag.  As  we  followed  the  trail  along  its  winding  way 
among  large  spruce  and  pine,  I  always  managed  to  keep  close 
to  her,  and  was  ever  ready  to  lead  her  pony  over  difficult 
places. 


80 


THE  LOST  BELLE. 


Look !  what  mighty  forms,  whose  towering  heads  reach 
toward  the  sky !  Only  a  ghmpse  we  at  first  catch  of  them 
through  the  dense  forests  ;  then  nearer  and  nearer  they  come 
like  a  new  world  moving  upon  us.  Foliage  thick  and  deep 
is  beginning  to  hover  above  us,  the  light  of  the  sun  is  disap- 
pearing, shut  out  by  tree  tops  which  seem  to  swim  in  the 
soft  ethereal  sky. 

Now  we  approach  the  "  Fallen  Monarch,"  far  up  whose 
side  many  an  insect  man  has  climbed  to  carve  his  name. 
Ascending  the  ladder  we  stand  upon  its  mighty  trunk.  How 
grand  and  majestic  is  the  prostrate  king,  although  his  head, 
once  towering  so  proudly  above  the  surrounding  forest,  has 
taken  its  flight  to  earth. 

Our  party  becoming  somewhat  scattered  about  this  time  I 
missed  my  belle,  and  looked  here  and  there,  listening  to  hear 
her  voice  and  laughter,  but  could  see  or  hear  nothing  of  her. 
1  put  spurs  to  my  pony  and  went  galloping  around  to  the 


Caleb's  race  course. 

opposite  side  of  Grizzly,  where  I  found  her  apparently  wait- 
ing my  coming.     How  beautiful  her  smile  ! 

From  Grizzly  we  soon  came  to  another  fallen  tree,  which, 
from  the  effects  of  the  fire,  lay  in  several  parts,  like  great 
hollow   logs   upon   the   ground.     Caleb   undertook   to  ride 


A  STARTLING  DISCLOSUKE.  81 

through  one  of  them ;  as  the  pony  was  in  a  hurry  to  get 
the  job  done  he  shot  ahead,  and  on  reaching  the  place  where 
the  opening  was  smallest,  Caleb  was  brushed  from  his  saddle, 
and  the  steed  emerged  from  the  farther  end  of  the  log,  rider- 
less. 

Close  by  was  the  "  Queen  of  the  Forest,"  very  tall,  very 
stately,  and  beautiful,  but  I  fancied  that,  like  Elizabeth  in 
her  old  age,  she  was  becoming  wry  and  gnarly  from  rejecting 
so  many  proposals  of  the  surrounding  monarchs. 

The  Ancient  Couple  stood  so  closely  together  as  to  fulfill 
the  strictest  law  of  union — especially  in  these  days.  They 
had  weathered  the  storms  of  many  a  century,  and  now  their 
garlands,  though  of  evergreen,  were  faded ;  together  they 
were  tottering  into  their  grave.     My  lass  remarked, 

"  Surely  they  know  by  this  time  whether  they  are  suited.'* 
Longfellow  and  Whittier  stood  side  by  side, — both  high 
and  stately ;  but  the  former  reached  above  his  companion. 
These  two  gentlemen  may  trace  their  relationship  back  to 
Nero  or  Caesar — yet  even  then  these  trees  had  peeped  their 
heads  above  the  sod. 

In  the  cool  of  the  evening,  winding  our  way  leisurely 
among  the  mountain  scenery,  we  returned  to  Clarke's.  It 
would  be  folly  to  say  that  I  enjoyed  myself  during  this  ride, 
and  that  the  attractions  of  my  darling  were  more  irresistibly 
impressed  upon  me  than  ever  before.  I  thought  her  sweet, 
flowing  words,  her  sparkling  laugh,  her  attractions  were  per- 
fectly angelic,  and  that  it  would  be  a  Paradise  to  spend  one's 
life  wandering  with  such  a  lovely  creature  through  the  wilds 
of  the  Sierras. 

When  Caleb  and  I  at  our  leisure,  stepped  to  the  counter 
to  register  our  names,  I  glanced  to  where  our  companions' 
had  just  been  written  down  by  the  son  and  brother,  fondly 
hoping  that  the  sister's  name  had  been  written  last,  so  that  I 
might  put  my  own  beneath  it.  I  thought  the  two  would 
look  so  well  together.  It  vms  written  last  but  judge  of  my 
consternation  at  finding  that   it    was   prefixed    by  a   Mrs. ! 

There  was  no  mistake  about  it.     One  Miss  and  two  Mrs. 
6 


82 


CREST-FALLEX. 


comprised  the  ladies  of  our  party.      I  crawled  off  to  bed 
crestfallen  ;  to  sleep,  perchance  to  dream. 

Next  day  as  we  wended  our  way  along  the  trail  over  the 
sides  of  the  mountains,  and  occasionally  through  snow-drifts, 
it  was  much  more  awkward  and  tedious  to  be  at  the  service 
of  the  young  madam  than  it  had  previously  been.  After 
dinner  at  the  Half- Way  House  our  friends  concluded  to 
linger  among  the  mountains.  It  was  with  a  good  will  that 
I  with  Caleb  passed  onward  into  the  valley. 


CHAPTER  YII. 
SIGHTSEEING  IN  YO  SEMITE. 

WE  were  approaching  the  Yo  Semite  Yalley,  and  hcgan 
to  breathe  the  air  from  its  mighty  chasm.  Skirting 
along  its  side  we  lieard  the  waterfalls,  and  now  and  then 
caught  glimpses  of  the  opposite  wall.  Walking  and  creeping 
on  an  overhanging  rock  we  reached  Inspiration  Point.  Here 
a  chasm  seven  or  eiijht  miles  loni^:,  from  half  a  mile  to  a 
mile  in  breadth,  and  from  3,000  to  4,000  feet  in  depth, 
opened  before  us  in  a  mountain  bed  of  granite.  Hanging 
over  the  edge  of  the  rock  upon  which  we  stood,  and  casting 
the  eye  perpendicularly  down  until  the  power  of  vision  was 
lost  in  the  depth  below,  the  soul  shuddercd  and  shrank  back. 

In  that  lower  earth  we  saw  a  valley,  green,  smooth  and 
beautiful,  through  which  flowed  a  silvery  stream,  skirted 
with  trees,  while  Bridal  Yeil,  on  this  side  a  short  distance 
above,  and  Yo  Semite  Falls,  on  the  ojiposite  side  still  further 
up,  poured  over  the  walls  their  falling  streams.  Beauty, 
grandeur,  sublimity,  mountain,  waterfall,  cascade  and  preci- 
pice mingled  their  attractions.  Art  was  surpassed  a  thous- 
and fold. 

Leaving  Inspiration  Point,  we  began  to  descend.  Here,  at 
the  lower  or  western  end,  was  the  most  favorable  place  for 
doing  so;  and  even  at  this  point  we  wondered  how  it  was 
])ossible  for  a  pony  to  make  his  way.  But  down  we  went 
along  a  winding  trail,  at-  times  ready  to  shoot  headforemost 
overboard,    plunging    under    hanging   rocks,    around   sharp 

83 


84 


CALEB'S  NIGHT  PJDE. 


points,  and  along  tlie  edge  of  precipices — till,  thrown  upon 
our  ponies'  necks,  we  were  constrained  to  crj  out,  "TVhoa! 
M-hoa !"  Sometimes  they  did  whoa,  but  more  frequently 
brought  np  against  a  tree,  or  the  side  of  a  rock. 

When  Ave  reached  the  level  valley  below  it  was  coming 
on  dusk,  but  the  evening  was  clear.     It  was  three  miles  or 


BOUND    FOR    THi;    VALLEY. 


more  to  the  hotels,  yet  Caleb  wanted  to  ride  way  out  to 
J>ridal  Veil,  and  more,  he  was  determined  to  do  it — so  the 
guide  and  I  rode  on,  alternately  receding  from  and  approach- 
ing the  foot  of  those  towering  walls ;  now  in  a  grassy  lawn, 
now  in  a  forest,  and  again  winding  around  gigantic  rocks, 
fallen  from  that  upper  M'orld  just  beneath  the  blue  sky, 
through  whose  curtains  the  evening  stars,  like  the  eyes  of 
angels,  were  beginning  to  peep. 

At  Ladick's  Hotel  I  awaited  for  two  hours  the  arrival  of 
Caleb,  but  no  Caleb  came.  I  began  to  wonder  what  could 
detain  him,  and  spoke  to  the  landlord.  lie  told  me  that 
there  were  some  rough  rocks  about  the  foot  of  Bridal  Veil, 
and  that  one  might  possibly  meet  with  an  accident.  After 
waiting  a  while  longer,  I  wandered  far  back  on  the  trail,  but 


MOOX-RISE  IX  THE  VALLEY. 


85 


heard  notlun<;  save  the  echo  of  my  loud  halloa,  deadened 
by  the  thunder  of  distant  waterfalls. 

All  at  once  a  light  gleamed  along  the  summit  of  the  north- 
em  wall.  It  was  the  rising  moon.  Sitting  down,  as  in  an 
enchanted  world,  I  saw,  as  the  moon  rose  higher  and  higher, 
the  grotesque  features  and  irregularities  of  the  southern  wall 
pictured  on  the  naturally  fantastic  canvas  of  the  northern 
one.  Sometimes  a  Llack  form,  which  1  took  for  a  cloud, 
floated  along  the  bright  upper  part  of  the  wall,  while  dark- 
ness and  terror  hovered,  and  curled,  and  yawned  below. 
Finally  the  orb  of  night  looked  over  into  the  valley, 
and  upon  the  level  green  turf  from  which  arose  El  Capi- 
tan  to  the  startling  height  of  four  thousand  feet,  like 
a  polished  column,   formed  by   a  bold  curve  of  the  wall. 

Startled  by  a  loud  boom 
of  some  waterfall,  I 
thought  of  Caleb,  and  ran 
forward  with  affright. 
The  further  I  went  the 
more  frightened  I  grew, 
imtil  I  espied  something 
approaching,  wliicli  proved 
to  be  Caleb.  He  had  evi- 
dently found  the  falls,  for 
he  was  some  excited  and 
considerably  wet ;  and  he 
related  h  i  s  adventures 
while  we  were  going  to 
the  hotel,  as  follows : — 

"From  Iiispiration 
Point  the  waters  hung  like 
a  veil  down  the  side  of  the 
wall,  then  rolled  away 
in  graceful  vapors  which 
lost  themselves  in  gaudy  mists  far  down  the  vallev; 
but  what  lay  beneath  that  trailing  veil  no  mortal  could  ever 


CALEB   TAKING  THS    T£1L. 


86 


ADVENTURES  AT  BRIDAL  \T:IL. 


have  fancied.     As  I  scrambled  around  their  slippery  forms, 
how  tlie  "wind  blew  the  water  and  mist  into  my  face !  while 
thundering  tones,  such  as  I  liad  never  heard,  sounded  in  my 
ears.     I  did  not  feel  like  going  up  there  all   at  once,  so  I 
stopped  behind  a  large  rock  that  broke  off  felie  driving  mist. 
At  last  1  cautiously  ventured  beneath  the  falls  and  beside 
that  mighty  jarring  wall.     I  did  not  have  the  rainbow  around 
me,  for  the  sun  had   disappeared.     Keither  could  1  see  dis- 
tinctly the  magic  beauty  of  the  veil  woven  by  the  lightning 
speed  of  sparkling  drops,  and  crossed  by  threads  of  finest 
mist — yet  I  did  not  want  to  see.     My  soul  was  too  full  to 
see  through  mortal  eyes ;  the  thunders  of  the  Eternal  God 
filled  my  soul.     How  1  got  down  from  there  1  hardly  know. 
I  found  my  pony,  and  here  1  am.     I  have  been  in  a  dream 
ever  since ;  but  it  is  not  a  dream— this  valley  is  a  reality." 
Kext  morning,  as  we  were  wandering  up  the  valley,  we 
saw  a  cavalry  party  approaching  with  their  guide,  who  was 
showing  them  what  they  ought  to  look  at,  what  they  ought 
to  admire,  and  when  they  ought  to  quit.     But  we  were  not 
_  takini;  lessons    under   him,   and 

-  ,■" —  -  "^  CI?  -' 

sat  down  on  a  stone  to  let  this 
school  teacher  in  nature  and  his 
pupils  pass  along.  We  noticed 
that  some  of  the  ladies  had  miss- 
ed the  mark  in  mounting,  and 
were  riding:  with  a  foot  on  either 
side  of  their  steeds.  But  what 
of  that — it  was  only  woman's 
rights  advancing ;  and  the  fash- 
ion made  good  progress,  for 
before  night  all  had  adopted  this 
stvle,  and  two  lassies  whom  we 
had  seen  in  the  morning  linger- 
ing behind  through  modesty, 
were  now  racing  with  their  gallant  lovers. 

Yo  Semite  Falls,  in  plain  view  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 


woman's  rights  advancing. 


YO  SEMITE  FALLS. 


87 


valley,  pouring  its  immense  body  of  water  over  a  low  place 
in  the  wall — only  twenty-six  hundred  feet  high — naturally 
attracted  our  attention;  and  as  they  proved  to  be  rather 
above  onr  vision,  we  hazardously  climbed  upward  about  a 
thousand  feet  to  the  point  where  the  water  strikes  tlie  wall. 
Here  the  scene  was  almost  too  terrific  for  mortals  to  behold. 
We  looked  above  ns  sixteen  hundred  feet,  to  where  a  large 
stream  of  water  leaped  from  the  rock,  dividing  into  huge 
bodies,  which  kept  their  distinctive  shapes  a  hundred  feet  or 
more,  tlieir  edges  spreading  into  vapors,  while  the  center  of 


ABOVE   TFIK    FALLS. 

each  shot  down  like  a  comet;  still  further  down  they 
expanded  into  a  vast  sea  of  vapor  and  spray,  shifting,  as  the 
Mind  blew  it,  three  or  four  hundred  yards  from  side  to  side, 
beating  into  our  faces  and  through  our  clothes  like  driven 
rain.  The  cascade  was  just  at  our  side,  and  below  us ;  at 
times  its  waters  were  almost  hidden  from  sight  by  the  spray, 


88 


"I  WONT  GO  HOME  TILL  MORNIXG." 


but  ^xe  canglit  a  glimpse  of  them  as  it  angrily  rushed  and 
plunged  onward  to  take  the  final  leap  over  the  lower  preci- 
jDice. 

We  beat  a  retreat  out  of  the  spray  and  into  the  sun,  where 
we  stood  dripping  and  drying,  and  occasionally  glancing  at 
the  falls ;  and  happening  to  see  a  crooked  tree  which  shot 
its  roots  into  the  crevices  of  the  rock  just  beneath  the  sum- 
mit, we  agreed,  and  shook  our  wet  hats  in  testimony,  that 
if  we  ever  visited  the  Yo  Semite  again  we  would  sit  on  that 
zigzag  tree  over  the  brink  of  the  falls,  and  gaze  down  and 
down  into  that  awful  chasm  beneath.  But  we  didn't  expect 
to  come  again — at  least  for  a  thousand  years. 

We  descended  by  a  circuitous  route,  occasionally  follow- 
ing a  narrow  path  over  precipices  where  it  seemed  one  might 
commit  suicide  so  accidentally  as  hardly  to  trouble  his  con- 
science, and  at  last  came  to 
a  place  which  defied  all  our 
attempts  to  pass.  Here 
we  became  separated,  and 
I  struck  a  narroAV  i-avine  in 
the  wall,  and  on  following 
it,  soon  reached  the  valley. 
After  calling  several  times 
to  Caleb,  he  replied  from 
far  up  the  side  of  the  dark 
wall : — 

"Go  home,  go  home — 
I'll  camp."  I  concluded 
to  take  his  advice,  and 
proceeded  to  our  hotel. 

From  the  window  of  my 
room  I  gazed  out  in  the 
direction  where  1  had 
parted  from  Caleb,  and  I 
knew  that  the  little  fire  which  burned  brightly  at  some 
distance  above  the  level  of  the  valley  marked  his  camping 
place. 


WATCui.sG   Caleb's  camp-fire. 


CALEB'S  NICxHT  ADVENTURES. 


89 


At  early  dawn  I  was  out  looking  for  the  straggler,  and 
soon,  to  my  astonishment,  I  descried  him  squirming  down  a 
long  pole  which  he  had  set  against  the  face  of  the  rock.  I 
stood  in  silent  dread  as  he  removed  the  pole  and  placed  it 
carefully  in  a  lower  niche.  Again  he  descended ;  and  by 
repeating  the  operation  several  times  he  at  length  stood 
beside  me.  As  we  walked  to  the  hotel  he  related  to  me  the 
adventures  of  the  night.  lie  had  rested  on  a  ledge  not  more 
than  three  feet  wide,  so  situated  that  it  would  have  been 
dangerous  to  roll  out  of  bed  ;  and  he  had  managed  to  keep 
up  a  fire  by  breaking  dry  branches  from  a  tree  near  by.  lie 
had  not  been  the  least  afraid  of  bears,  for  he  did  not  believe 
they  could  climb  where  he  was,  even  if  so  disposed. 


CAI.Eil  S    i*l-RlLui;S    KBSCKNT. 


CHAPTER  Yin. 
A  CLIMB  OUT  OF  THE  YALLEY. 

AFTEK  breakfast  we  passed  far  up  into  the  valley,  to 
where  it  branches  into  three  deep,  narrow  canons,  and 
stood  at  the  entrance  to  one  of  them  between  North  and 
South  Domes.  Not  a  ripple  had  yet  stirred  the  surface  of 
Mirror  Lake,  which  lay  at  our  feet,  picturing  every  color, 
streak  and  form  of  the  mighty  walls.  North  Dome  hung 
beneath  the  left-hand  inverted  wall,  a  thousand  times  larger 
and  more  grand  than  the  dome  of  our  National  Capitol,  while, 
on  the  opposite  side  was  South  Dome,  as  perfect  as  art,  but 
cut  in  twain  from  top  to  bottom,  as  by  the  sword  of  a 
mighty  angel ;  and  one-half  of  it  had  fallen  into  the  lake. 
Either  summit  pierced  a  sky  of  richest  blue,  at  a  height 
thirty  times  that  of  the  Falls  of  Niagara. 

After  floating  out  upon  the  lake  and  giving  the  trout  a 
chance  to  bite, — of  which  they  did  not  avail  themselves, — we 
ascended  the  middle  canon  through  a  dense  forest  of  ever- 
green, winding  around  gigantic  mossy  stones  whicli  had 
fallen  from  the  heights  above ;  while  on  our  left,  a  dashing 
rivulet,  white  with  foam,  splashed  wildly  into  the  air;  and 
occasionally  we  passed  under  the  spray  that  came  floating  far 
down  tliat  narrow  canon,  as  if  fleeing  the  thunder  of  the 
distant  falls.  AV(!  met  a  party  of  ladies  and  gentlemen  with 
umbrellas,  who  smilingly  remarked: — 

"  Quite  showery,  to-day." 

Quite  slippery,  thought  I,  as  a  couple  of  the  party  sat 
down  rather  suddenly  on  the  drenched  grass. 

90 


WE  INTERVIEW  A  GUIDE. 


91 


In  their  company,  nnder  the  miglity  arch  in  the  right 
wail  beside  Yernal  Falls,  we  stood  and  gazed  upon  a  broad 
and  beautiful  sheet  of  water,  falling  more  than  three  hundred 
feet  without  a  ripple.  Around  us  the  chasing  rainbows 
played  ;  the  grassy  blades  and  hanging  mosses  decked -them- 
selves with  diamonds  ;  laughing  faces,  brighter  than  an}-- 
thing  else,  admired  them  ;  and  the  happy  birds  flapped  their 
winss  above  the  circling  sprav. 

The  Cap  of  Liberty,  a 
towering  majestic  column, 
four  thousand  feet  in 
height,  next  engrossed  our 
attention  as  we  passed  up 
the  gliding  stream,  until 
we  were  aroused  by  the 
awful  thunders  of  Nevada 
Falls,  whose  waters  shot 
over  a  precipice  more  than 
twice  the  height  of  Vernal 
Falls.  After  approaching 
''/"i-^  them  as  near  as  we  could, 
"'^'  "  we  returned  to  the  valley. 
Many  days  we  lingered 
in  this  beautiful  vale, 
wandering  through  its  syl- 
van retreats,  ])icking  straw- 


t-r^ 


fe.e^^W'  "^^a&vi^^^' 


'QUITE    SnOWERY. 


berries  and  lying  upon  the 
grass  in  the  shade  of  the  trees.  On  one  of  these  last-named 
occasions,  our  attention  was  called  to  Glacier  Rock. 

"  Wouldn't  it  be  grand,  Caleb,  to  perch  on  that  dizzy 
point,  and  at  a  single  view  take  in  all  these  scenes  that  have 
separately  entranced  us  ?  " 

•'  That's  the  height  of  my  ambition." 

"  Look,  there  comes  a  guide — I  know  him  by  his  broad- 
brimmed  hat.  Halloo  !  will  you  please  tell  me  whether  the 
point  of  that  rock  can  be  reached  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir ;  by  a  twenty  miles'  ride  on  ponies." 


92  A  CLIMB  BY  MOONLIGHT. 

"  But  is  there  no  shorter  way  ?  " 

"A  few  persons  with  Indian  guides  have  hazardously 
scaled  those  rocks,  but  if  you  attempt  it  there  will  not  be 
left  pieces  of  you  large  enougli  for  the  buzzards  to  pick." 

He' rode  out  of  sight,  and  we  started  for  Glacier  Rock. 
We  were,  of  course,  fools  to  do  so,  but  one  learns  some- 
thino-  by  being  foolish,  if  he  survives  the  experience. 

Over  rocks  that  have  fallen  from  the  wall  we  scrambled, 
occasionally  tumbling  between  them,  causing  us  to  feel  a 
little  fearful  that  the  buzzards  would  have  a  chance  to  try  us, 
after  all.  We  made  for  a  canon, — or  rather  a  fissure  in  the 
-wall — where  dreary  darkness  soon  overtook  us,  and  there  we 
passed  a  gloomy,  uncomfortable  night. 

At  moonrise,  about  2  a.  m.,  we  resumed  our  task,  little 
dreaming  of  the  difficulties  which  we  Avere  to  encounter. 
Places  that  did  not  look  very  steep  or  high  from  below,  rose 
up  like  mountains  as  we  approached  them ;  the  rocks  were 
crumbly,  and  the  slip  of  a  foot  might  have  dashed  us  to 
pieces  on  the  rocks  below.  But  we  pressed  bravely  on  to 
where  the  gorge  divided  ;  and  after  vainly  attempting  to 
follow  up  the  left-hand  branch,  we  tried  the  right-hand  one 
with  better  success.  At  this  point  the  sun  arose  in  all  his 
beauty,  and  although  surrounded  by  difficulties,  our  hearts 
drank  in  the  joy  and  light  that  filled  the  valley. 

At  length  we  came  to  where  the  gorge  was  again  sub- 
divided into  many  branches,  and  here  m'c  were  separated.  I 
climbed  up  some  very  threatening  rocks  and  reached  a  place 
which  I  named  "  Starvation,"  where  I  was  captive  a  weary 
hour  before  I  could  escape.  It  was  hazardous  to  proceed, 
but  more  so  to  return  ;  so  from  niche  to  niche  my  feet  fol- 
lowed my  hands,  until  it  seemed  impossible  to  ascend  further. 
The  wall  proved  to  be  overhanging  at  the  top,  while  it  was 
nothing  less  than  destruction  to  look  down  or  attempt  to 
retrace  my  footsteps. 

Hark!  what  is  that  startling  crash  ?  'l  listen  in  awful  sus- 
pense until  the  sound  and  echoes  die  away  in  the  depths 
beneath,  and  then  fear  to  call,  lest  no  voice  answers  me. 


nOLDLVa  ON  FOR  LIFE. 


93 


A  few  minutes  later  and  I  Lear  another  crash.  Then  1 
halloo,  but  almost  fear  to  do  so,  lest  the  sound  will  loosen  my 
frail  clasp.  I  call  and  listen,  but  no  answer.  1  call 
again,  but  only  hear  the  echo  reply.  Fearful  moments  ! 
had  they  not  soon  passed  I  should  have  been  dashed  to  the 
bottom !  But  I  heard  a  voice  that  seemed  above  me,  and  at 
once  knew  that  Caleb  had  been  in  too  precarious  a  position 
to  answer.  Presently  he  hallooed  again,  and  I  told  him,  as 
best  I  could  in  a  word  or  two,  my  position,  and  that  in  a 
few  moments  more  it  would  be  either  life  or  death,  as  I 
could  not  long  cling  to  the  wall !  A  brief  pause  and  1  heard 
his  voice : 

"Hold  on,  Wildair ;  I'll  make  a  rope  !  " 

Aroused  by  renewed  hope,  I  sustain  myself  with  more 
ease,  wondering,  however,  where  he  can  obtain  material  for 


TH£    RESCUE. 


the   rope.     Crash    come   the   stones,  dancing  and  bouncing 
above  my  head.     I  look  up  and  see  nearing  me  the  end  of  a 


94  WILDAIR'S  SOLILOQUY. 

brush  rope  tied  together  with  bark.  Happy  moment !  it 
just  reaches  me.  The  thought  of  life,  of  a  speedy  rescue, 
imparts  strength  sufficient  for  the  emergency,  and  I  climb, 
while  Caleb  draws  on  the  rope.  A  decaying  tree  against 
which  he  sets  his  foot,  comes  near  brushing  me  off,  but  with 
increased  effort  the  point  is  at  length  gained  in  safety.  Long 
I  lie  upon  the  precipice  and  almost  worship  that  rope  as  the 
means  of  my  deliverance.  Then  wearily  we  resume  the  ascent, 
climbing  on  until  past  noon,  when  again  we  separate. 

Our  courses  diverge  more  than  we  anticipated.  I  come 
to  a  place  that  seems  to  defy  my  power  to  ascend.  I  pause 
and  soliloquize  :  If  I  get  above  this  overhanging  rock  I  must 
climb  around  to  one  side,  along  a  ledge  over  a  precipice, 
where,  if  a  hand  slips  I  shall  be  precipitated  into  a  chasm 
hundreds  of  feet  below  me.  I  call  to  Caleb  two  or  three 
times,  but  hear  no  answer.  What  shall  I  do?  I  have  tasted 
no  food  since  4  o'clock  last  evening,  and  then  but  a  small 
and  insufficient  quantity.  My  tongue  is  parched  from  thirst 
and  I  am  exhausted  from  fatigue.  I  look  above  and  see 
that  I  liave  nearly  reached  the  top ;  if  only  1  were  above 
this  I  am  sure  I  should  have  but  little  difficulty  beyond.  I 
cannot  retreat ;  I  must  go  forward,  if  but  to  my  death. 
Reaching  to  the  side,  I  pull  myself  around  and  hang  dang- 
ling over  the  edge  of  the  ravine.  Have  I,  (with  the  slight 
holds  for  my  hand,)  strength  to  pull  myself  above  ?  I  make 
one  mighty  effort,  feel  my  arms  tremble,  and  my  muscles 
begin  to  weaken  ;  but  1  gain  a  better  foothold  now,  and 
push  myself  up.  At  last  I  reach  the  rock  and  fall  exhausted 
upon  its  ragged  surface.  Soon  recovering  myself,  I  begin  to 
look  about  me. 

But  where  is  Caleb  ?  Calling  several  times  but  receiving 
no  repl3%  I  presume  that  he  has  made  his  way  up  the  rising 
ground  through  the  brush  to  the  trail,  so  I  push  on  in  that 
direction.  My  foot  is  caught  between  the  limbs  of  a  fallen 
tree  and  held  fast ;  the  branches  tear  my  clothes  ;  the  dust 
rises  from  the  dry  limbs,  and  I  almost  choke  with  thirst. 
But  I  continue  on,  still  calling  to  Caleb,  yet  receiving  no 


THE  MEETIXG.  95 

response.  Finally  1  strike  the  trail,  down  which  I  follow  the 
Glacier  Hock  ;  but  Caleb  is  not  here  as  1  expected.  1  sit 
down  to  wait. 

After  looking  at  the  valley  a  few  moments  I  creep  out 
upon  the  overhanging  rocks,  only  three  or  four  feet  wide  at 
the  point  which  projects  over  the  precipice,  here  to  look 
down  the  perpendicular  wall  to  the  valley  below.  My 
energies  seem  to  have  left  me,  and  soon  I  fall  asleep.  After 
a  while  I  awake  startled.  My  brain  reels  !  I  shrink  back  ! 
Almost  before  terror  is  banished  from  my  mind,  comes  the 
anxiety  for  Caleb.  I  look  up  the  trail.  Joy  !  yonder  he 
comes.  We  meet !  Each  is  anxious  to  hear  from  the  other. 
We  waste  no  time  in  lookinc^  at  the  vallev,  but  make  straitrht 
for  some  snow  banks  we  discern  not  far  away,  upon  mIucIi 
"we  sit,  talking,  and  eating  snow  until  our  lips  are  swollen 
almost  as  thick  as  our  hands. 

We  now  look  down  into  the  valley.  We  see  the  walls, 
domes  and  waterfalls,  but  catch  no  inspiration  from  them  ; 
their  beauty  fails  to  awaken  any  enthusiasm  on  our  ])art. 

AVe  discern  the  grove  and  the  grassy  lawn,  at  the  eilge  of 
■which  we  had  stopped  to  rest.  We  look  at  the  guides  and 
visitors  riding  past  like  specks,  nearly  a  mile  be'ow  us  ;  then 
turn  our  weary  steps  along  the  winding  trail  of  five  miles  to 
the  Ilalf-Way  House,  wondering  that  wo  are  yet  in  the  land 
of  the  living,  and  resolving  in  our  hearts  never  to  be  so 
foolish  again.  The  distance  seems  long  and  tedious.  We 
pass  near  Sentinel  Dome,  but  have  no  desire  to  ascend.  We 
tarry  for  a  few  moments  and  gaze  at  the  Sierra  Nevadas, 
rearing  their  cone-shaped  peaks  as  far  as  the  eye  can  reach  ; 
some  so  sharp  and  jagged  as  to  pierce  through  their  snowv 
coverings,  leaving  their  uncapped  heads  to  battle  with  the 
fiercest  storms;  while  to  the  east  a  few  miles,  the  ]^eak  called 
"  Cloud's  Eest  "  climbs  upward  and  upward,  till  its  summit 
is  lost  among  the  clouds. 

Again  taking  up  our  march  ;  at  length  we  reach  our  desti- 
nation, and  with  our  rude  canes  walk  up  to  the  log  fire  in 
front  of  the  hotel,  around  which  the  guests  are  assembled  to 


96 


RETURN  OF  THE  WANDERERS. 


beguile  the  pleasant  evening  hours.  All  are  amazed  and 
look  upon  us  with  astonishment.  We  cannot  answer  their 
questions  fast  enough.     Some  have  finished  their   supper, 


AROUND    THE    LOG-FIRB. 


and  now  it  is  prepared  for  us.  For  once  during  the  evening 
we  are  natural  and  do  justice  to  the  meal.  The  landlord 
surely  wonders  if  we  have  not  camped  out  for  a  week. 

After  supper,  we  linger  a  few  moments  and  review  the 
various  events  of  the  day.  Outside,  the  guests  are  laughing 
and  talking.  They  are  from  San  Francisco,  New  York  and 
many  other  large  cities  of  the  East.  Some  have  been  to  the 
valley,  others  are  on  their  way.  AVhat  a  diversity  of  themes 
they  have  for  conversation,  and  what  a  new  phase  of  life  for 
New  York  fashionables,  to  sit  around  a  log-fire  beside  a 
hotel  of  log-cabins,  beneath  the  wild  deep  forests  of  the 
Sierras.  But  we  are  exhausted,  and  punching  a  log-fire  has 
no  charms  for  us  just  now;  so,  weary  and  worn  with  our 
journey,  we  retire. 

The  next  day  we  bade  farewell  to  the  matchless  Yosemite, 
and  resumed  our  travels  westward. 


o 


J 

> 

H 

W 
O 


CHAPTER    IX. 
EXPEKIENCES  IN  SAN  FRANCISCO. 

WHEN  we  arrived  at  San  Francisco,  Caleb  was  very 
anxious  to  see  a  certain  young  gentleman  whom  we 
had  met  in  Denver.  His  personal  appearance  was  very 
imposing,  but  when  we  made  his  acquaintance  he  was  out 
of  money.  He  thought  he  could  do  much  better  were  he  in 
San  Francisco,  but  was  out  of  means  and  desired  ns  to  assist 
him  in  getting  there.  However,  he  did  not  trouble  me 
much.  I  could  not  imagine  why,  for  I  was  quite  willing  to 
lend  him  aid  in  the  matter,  but  notwithstanding  this,  he 
pressed  the  affair  upon  Caleb  rather  than  myself,  till  I  became 
somewhat  jealous.  He  told  Caleb  that  he  had  a  brother  in 
business  at  San  Francisco,  but  he  did  not  like  to  wait  till  this 
brother  could  send  him  the  money,  and  therefore  proposed 
accompanying  us  thither,  if  Caleb  would  secure  his  passage. 
As  Caleb  seemed  inclined  to  be  accommodating,  I  told  him  that 
the  fact  that  the  young  man  and  his  brother  were  strangers 
to  us  should  not  be  considered ;  that  all  men  were  honest 
beyond  doubt ;  that  I  was  anxious  to  see  the  young  man 
prosperous,  and  that,  since  he  would  not  take  the  money 
from  me,  he  (Caleb)  ought  to  let  him  have  it.  Accordingly 
the  fellow  was  provided  for.  We  could  not  have  him 
as  a  traveling  companion  all  the  way,  however,  as  we  stopped 
at  different  places  along  our  route. 

Being  anxious  to  see  our  friend  in  his  new  position,  we 
started  forth  with  card  in  hand,  bearing  the  address  of  his 
brother.     Presently  we  came  to  the  street,  and  soon  found 
1  '  99 


100  ^  FRUITLESS  SEARCH. 

the  number  designated  upon  the  card,  looked  anxiously  at 
the  sign,  and  inquired  within  ;  but,  confound  the  gay 
deceiver,  the  result  was  not  satisfactory  to  ua  or  according 
to  representations;  no  such  person  occupied  the  premises  or 
had  ever  done  so.  "VVe  examined  the  city  directory,  but 
could  find  no  one  of  that  name  in  San  Francisco. 

Perhaps  I  ought  not  to  have  any  unkind  feelings  toward 
the  young  man  for  not  accepting  my  offer;  neither  should 
Caleb  feel  discouraged,  but  rather  magnanimous,  for  the 
privilege  of  lending,  without  expecting  to  receive  either 
interest  or  principal.  From  the  way  Caleb  bore  it  I  imagine 
he  was  trying  to  make  the  best  of  the  circumstance,  and 
practice  the  Golden  Eule.  But  we  were  a  little  surprised 
that  people  to  whom  we  told  the  story,  did  not  seem  to  blame 
the  fellow,  but  simply  termed  him  "rather  old-fashioned." 
"When  asked  to  explain  that  term,  they  told  us  that  a  few 
years  ago  it  was  the  custom  for  a  man,  wlien  "  broke,"  to 
inform  the  first  person  he  met,  that  the  gold  for  which  he 
had  been  digging  was  still  safe  in  the  mines,  but  that  he 
preferred  to  have  fifty  or  a  hundred  in  hand  for  the  pres- 
ent emergency.  The  generosity  of  these  hardy  frontiers- 
men, however,  seemed  likely  to  be  developed  to  an  unthie 
extent,  before  it  was  discovered  that  some  roughs  had  taken 
the  "  emergency  "  complaint  in  its  severest  form,  requiring 
continued  treatment  and  large  doses. 

The  common  hardships  encountered  on  the  frontier,  and 
the  hopes  and  uncertainties  of  gold-mining,  tended  to 
develop  in  the  people  of  the  West  a  combination  of 
unbounded  generosity  and  recklessness.  The  following 
incident  connected  with  the  early  days  of  San  Francisco, 
which  I  have  read  somewhere,  illustrates  these  traits  of 
their  character. 

The  "  Niin  de  Oro^''  a  gambling  saloon  in  that  city,  was, 
in  1849,  the  principal  resort  of  the  disbanded  soldiers  of  the 
California  regiments,  and  also  those  who  had  been  engaged 
in  the  war  with  Mexico. 

Behind  one  of  the  largest  monte  banks  in  the  room,  sat  a 


A  THRILLING  NARRATIVE.  101 

man  who  had  won  for  himself  honorable  mention,  and  an 
officer's  commission  was  given  him  for  his  bravery  at  the 
storming  of  Monterey  ;  but,  preferring  the  climate  of  Cali- 
fornia and  its  golden  prospects  to  a  northern  liome,  he 
embarked  for  that  country  at  the  close  of  the  war  with  Mex- 
ico, and  upon  arriving  in  San  Francisco,  opened  a  gam  Ming 
Bah)on.  The  emigrants  came  in  by  the  thousands,  and  two 
or  three  nights  after  his  arrival,  a  young  man  entered  the 
saloon  and  seated  himself  at  the  bank  and  staked  various  sums 
on  the  cards,  until  he  lost  nearly  all  the  money  he  had 
possessed. 

Excited  by  the  game,  and  maddened  with  his  losses,  he 
accused  the  dealer  of  cheating ;  the  latter  replied  sharply ; 
harsh  words  were  exchanged,  and  then  the  young  man  struck 
the  dealer  a  severe  blow  upon  the  f\iee.  Quick  as  thought, 
the  sharp  report  of  a  pistol  followed  ;  the  gambler  had  shot 
his  customer.  The  room  was  soon  cleared  of  the  spectators 
present,  the  door  closed,  and  medical  attendance  summoned 
to  aid  the  wounded  man. 

The  gambler  sat  moodily  over  his  bank,  running  the  small 
monte  cards  through  his  fingers,  and  perhaps  meditating  of 
the  deed  just  perpetrated,  when  the  wounded  man  gave  a 
moan  of  agony  as  the  doctor's  probe  reached  the  extremity 
of  the  wound. 

The  doctor  inquired  what  state  he  was  from,  and  the 
■wounded  man  replied : 

"  From  Vermont." 

The  gambler  raised  his  head.  It  had  been  a  long  time 
since  he  had  seen  a  person  from  the  home  of  his  childhood, 
and  Vermont  being  his  native  state,  the  mere  mention  of 
the  name  interested  him. 

The  doctor  next  inquired  the  name  of  the  place  where  his 
parents  resided,  if  he  had  any. 

"Montpelier." 

The  gambler  sprang  to  his  feet,  his  limbs  trembled,  and 
his  face  became  pale  as  death,  for  Montpelier  was  the  home 
of  his  youth,  and  perhaps  the  wounded  man  might  have  been 


102  THE  DYING  HUSBAND. 

his  playmate  in  childhood  ;  perhaps  a  schoolmate  who  knew 
his  parents,  his  brothers  and  sisters. 

A  stimulant  was  given  to  the  wounded  man,  and  the 
doctor  inquired  if  there  was  any  friend  in  the  city  he  wished 
to  send  for. 

"  Yes,"  he  replied,  "  my  wife.  She  is  at  the  City  Hotel. 
Tell  her  to  hasten,  for  I  am  badly  hurt." 

A  man  was  sent  to  inform  his  wife. 

"  Doctor,"  said  the  gambler,  "  save  that  man's  life,  and 
there  is  my  bank  and  $10,000  in  Burgoyne,  and  you  shall 
have  it  all  ?  " 

The  doctor  shook  his  head  in  token  of  the  impossibility  of 
recovery. 

The  gambler  sat  by  the  side  of  the  wounded  man  until  the 
arrival  of  his  wife.  She  came,  accompanied  by  a  few  friends, 
and  as  heroic  women  bear  their  misfortunes,  she  bore  hers. 
Not  a  word  of  reproach  was  uttered  by  her.  AYords  of 
cheerfulness  only,  passed  her  lips,  as  tears  coursed  rapidly 
down  her  cheeks.  To  her  inquiry  as  to  the  chances  of  her 
husband's  recovery,  the  doctor  assured  her  that  there  was  no 
hope  whatever.  She  sank  down  on  her  knees  and  invoked 
the  mercy  of  a  forgiving  God  upon  her  dying  husband  and 
his  murderer. 

The  gambler  knelt  at  the  side  of  the  wounded  man,  and 
asked  his  forgiveness,  and  also  that  of  his  afflicted  wife,  for 
the  great  wrong  he  had  committed,  which  was  readily 
granted. 

"  This,"  said  he,  "  is  the  result  of  disobedience  to  the 
sacred  injunctions  of  my  aged  father  and  mother.  I  have 
faced  death  a  thousand  times,  and  still  I  have  escaped ;  the 
balls  of  the  enemy  have  whistled  past  my  ears  as  thick  as 
hailstones,  and  the  bomb  has  exploded  at  my  feet.  Still  I 
have  lived,  oh  God,  and  for  this  !  High  above  the  red  tide 
of  battle  1  have  carried  my  country's  ensign,  and  have  won 
for  m^'self  upon  the  Held,  a  name  among  men.  AVhcn  not 
one  comrade  was  left  to  tell  of  the  battle,  I  escaped  unhurt. 
Why  was  I  not  killed  with  the  rest  ?     All  that  was  pleasing 


A  BROTHER'S  BLOOD. 


103 


to  man  I  have  had,  and  if  I  could  recall  this  last  act  ])y  living 
on  husks,  sleeping  in  a  pauper's  grave,  and  renouncing  every 
glorious  act  of  my  life,  gladly  I  would  do  it.  I  was  born  in 
the  same  village  with  that  man  ;  we  were  nurtured  beneath  the 
same  roof,  and — O  God !  — the  same  mother  gave  us  birth  ! 
lie  must  not  die — he  is  my  brother  !  "  And  tlie  gambler 
sunk  down  in  a  swoon  upon  the  floor. 

The  wounded  man  raised  himself  upon  his  elbows  ;  his 
eyes  wandered  about  the  room,  as  if  searching  for  some  par- 
ticular one. 

"  Mary,"  said  he,  "  is  my  brother  William  here — " 


THE    BROTHKKS. 


The  words  choked  in  his  throat,  and  he  sank  down  upon 
his  pillow. 

The  wife  knelt  again,  but  it  was  beside  the  dead,  and 
invoked  the  blessing  of  God  on  his  soul,  and  forgiveness  for 
the  murderer. 

The  gambler  awoke  from  his  swoon,  staggered  up  to  the 
wife,  and  said : 


104 


MINERS  AND  THEIR  BURDENS. 


"  Marj,  would  it  were  otherwise,  for  I  have  nothing  to 
live  for  now ;  the  dead  and  dvin^  do  not  want  anvthinoj  in 
this  world  ;  take  this  certiiieate  of  deposit  to  our  aged 
father,  and  tell  our  parents  we  are  both  dead ;  but  oh,  do 
not  tell  them  how  we  died  !  " 

Bat  before  the  woman  could  reply,  or  any  one  interfere, 
the  report  of  a  pistol  sounded  again,  and  the  fratricide  had 
ceased  to  live ! 

On  the  hill  near  Tlincon  Point,  were  two  graves,  a  few 
years  ago,  inclosed  with  a  picket  fence,  and  one  tombstone 
at  their  head,  with  this  simple  inscription  :  "Brothers  !" 

But  these  early  drinking  saloons  and  gambling  holes  have 
in  twenty -live  short  years,  given  place  to  the  great  city  of 
San  Francisco,  with  its  vast  machine  shops,  manufactories, 
wealth,  commerce,  and  a  population  of  150,000  enterprising 
people. 

The  business  streets  of  San  Francisco  and  the  buildings 

fronting    upon   them,   com- 
.  ^y^.^x  pare  favorably  with  those  of 
""'  M^^i?  any  of    the   eastern  cities ; 
^^^^|t  stylish  ladies,  gentlemen  and 
^'^  carriages  throng  the    thor- 
m  oughfares,  and  evidences  of 
*>^^  wealth  are    on  every  hand. 
And  such  quantities  of  gold ! 
In  this  land  of  gold-mining, 
where  the  circulating  medi- 
um was  the  yellow  coin,  we 
saw    men    crouching  like 
beasts   of    burden    beneath 
their  precious   loads.      "We 
never  before  felt  so  inclined 
to  bear  another's  burdens. 

Arrived  at  the  bank,  these 
men  throw  their  bags  upon 
the  counter,  and  await  their  turn— then  tumble  out  their  gold 
to  be  counted.     The  cashier  picks  up  a  handful  of  twenty- 


COUNTING    IN    THE    GOLD. 


THE  OBUGING  STRANGER.  105 

dollar  pieces,  slides  three  and  four  at  a  time  from  hand  to 
hand,  with  a  rapidity  that  makes  the  head  swim,  nntil  lie 
has  counted  twenty  pieces.  Quicker  than  thought  he  slaps 
them  down  in  a  stack,  and  in  a  moment  more  another  one  is 
beside  it.  These  rapidly  grow  into  one,  two,  or  three  rows. 
He  glances  over  the  number  of  stacks,  and  at  once  arrives 
at  the  value  of  the  whole  lot. 

Some  of  this  money  was  tumbled  out  to  us  as  carelessly  as 
if  it  had  cost  nothing  to  mine  it  ;  but  lo,  when  we  arrived 
in  China,  they  weighed  every  coin.  Whether  any  piece  was 
found  too  heavy,  I  cannot  say ;  they  were  not  particular 
about  informing  us,  if  it  was.  They  also  weighed  our  Mex- 
ican silver  dollars,  and  banged  them  all  over  the  floor  and 
counter,  to  ascertain  whether  each  had  the  proper  ring. 
The  result  was,  that  on  about  one-third  of  them  they  charged 
a  discount  of  from  ten  to  fifty  cents  each. 

Upon  our  first  initiation  into  the  State  of  California,  the 
boys  flocked  around  the  train  with  boxes  of  strawberries, 
shouting : 

"  One  for  a  bit ;  two  for  a  quarter." 

Thinking  that  we  wanted  two  boxes — our  eyes  being  very 
large — we  immediately  told  one  of  the  boys  that  we  would 
take  a  couple  of  boxes,  and  paid  him  the  quarter.  Then  I 
said  to  Caleb : 

"What  fools  we  are!  why  didn't  I  buy  one  box  and  you 
another?  Listen  ;  those  boys  are  crying  them  oflf  at  one  for 
a  bit — two  for  a  quarter.  Watch  ;  yonder  man  only  gives  a 
dime  for  one." 

"  The  boys  in  this  country  are  the  biggest  fools  yet," 
replied  Caleb,  slightly  enraged. 

Although  the  Californians  disregard  the  cents,  some  are 
none  too  conscientious  about  the  dollars.  While  in  San 
Francisco,  I  was  one  evening  standing  by  the  window  of  a 
jewelry  shop,  admiring  the  display,  when  a  fine-looking 
young  gentleman  stopped  beside  me,  apparently  to  do  the 
same.  Soon  he  pointed  out  to  me  a  gold  watch-chain,  in 
the  links  of  which  were  some  slugs  of  quartz  rock,  containing 


106  "  LET  US  HAVE  A  DRINK  ?  " 

particles  of    gold   in   its   original   state.     Then    he    said : 

"  Up  the  street  a  block  or  so  is  a  very  elegant  jewelry 
store  ;  I  suppose  you,  like  myself,  are  out  enjoying  the  eve- 
ning, and  if  you  say  so,  we  will  walk  along  to  where  it  is?" 

I  began  to  have  an  idea  regarding  this  young  man,  yet  as 
1  liked  to  see  handsome  jewelry,  I  accepted  his  suggestion 
and  we  walked  along  together.  We  arrived  at  the  place  and 
found  it  as  represented.  My  companion  then  proposed  that 
we  should  take  a  little  walk  through  other  portions  of  the 
city.  I  had  an  opinion  of  this  young  man,  a  decided  opinion, 
and  desiring  to  see  if  it  proved  correct  I  accompanied  him. 
He  told  me  that  he  was  going  East  shortly,  but  that  he  had 
been  out  in  the  mountains,  mining.  I  thought  so,  and 
returned  the  compliment  by  conveying  the  impression  that  I 
was  traveling  for  pleasure  and  had  plenty  of  money.  He 
then  became  quite  confidential,  said  that  he  sometimes  took 
a  fancy  to  a  young  man,  and  implied  that  in  this  case  he  had 
done  so.  I  replied  that  I  was  very  glad  to  know  that  I  was 
held  in  such  esteem,  and  was  sure  that  it  was  reciprocated. 
Presently  he  spoke  about  taking  a  glass  of  wine  occasionally, 
— anything  stronger  he  did  not  approve  of.  To  this  I  made 
no  reply,  and  he  was  led  to  suppose  that  I  would  not  object 
to  indulge  in  something  of  a  more  fiery  nature. 

"AVell,"  said  he,  "once  in  awhile  I  don't  mind  taking 
something  stronger  myself ;  and  as  I  am  with  a  friend,  to- 
night, let  us  have  a  drink  ?  Up  the  street  a  short  distance 
is  a  club-room  where  some  of  my  cronies  meet  occasionally 
to  have  a  friendly  chat,  and  there  we  can  find  drinks  suited 
to  our  tastes." 

I  thought  probably  I  had  carried  the  thing  far  enough, 
and  hesitated  as  to  going  further. 

"Oh,"  said  he,  "it's  only  a  short  distance;  it  won't  take 
much  time  ;  come  on." 

I  walked  along  with  him  as  though  it  were  all  right,  yet 
looking  well  to  my  steps.  "When,  however,  he  turned  up  a 
side  street,  I  pulled  out  my  watch  and  suddenly  halted. 

"  I  have  an  engagement  with  an  old  chum,"  said  I,  "  it  is 
now  past  the  hour,  and  I  must  be  off." 


"YOU  ARE  A  RASCAL!" 


107 


"  Don't  go  yet,  it  will  only  take  a  moment." 

"  No,  he  will  wonder  where  I  am  ;  I  must  be  goin^^,"  and 
I  started  off. 

But  my  acquaintance  was  not  to  be  shaken  off  so  easily, 
and  before  we  parted  he  made  me  promise  to  meet  him  the 
next  eveninof  on  the  corner  of  two  desi<inated  streets. 

Then  he  bade  me  good  evening,  pressed  my  hand  warmly, 
and  again  assured  me  that  he  had  enjoyed  my  society  very 
much. 

At  the  appointed  hour,  next  evening,  as  I  approached  the 
rendezvous,  1  saw  him  there  anxiously  awaiting  my  coming. 
He  was  very  glad  to  see  me  again,  and  we  soon  reached  the 
side  street  previously  named.  After  passing  down  it  some 
distance  he  stopped,  and  with  a  key  unlocked  a  door  which 
opened   at    the  foot  of    a 


dark  stairway  leading — I 
don't  know  where.  Here 
I  came  to  a  sudden  halt,  and 
said  : 

"  Doubtless  vou  think  I 
am  a  fool,  but  1  know  that 
you  are  a  rascal — too  low  to 
crawl  with  the  worms  of 
the  earth — too  mean  to 
creep  into  the  slimy  hole 
of  the  serpent.  It  is  well 
for  you  that  I  refuse  to 
accompany  you  to  your 
den.  I  have  my  hand  upon 
my  revolver,  and  would  not 
hesitate  to  shoot  vou  or 
your  villainous  accomplices 
at  the  first  demonstration." 


THE    STOOL    PIGEON. 


He  went  sneaking  up  the  stairs, 
and  I  started  for  a  more  congenial  locality. 

I  scarcely  ever  listen  to  yarns,  but  in  camp  or  at  hotels  it 
sometimes  becomes  a  moral  necessity  to  do  so.  The  follow- 
ing is  a  specimen  of  some  of  the  many  stories  we  heard 
related. 


108 


"PLODDING  JOE'S"  DISCOVERT. 


In  one  of  the  old  and  almost  deserted  camps  near  Virginia 
City,  an  unwearied  miner,  who  went  by  the  name  of  Plod- 
ding Joe,  still  lingered,  carelessly  blasting  away  among  the 
stones  in  search  of  some  undiscovered  streak  of  luck.  One 
day  he  had  nearly  finished  drilling  a  hole  when  he  heard  a 
groan.  He  listened  a  moment,  then  resumed  work  again, 
and  soon  heard  a  shriek.  Taking  this  for  a  good  omen,  he 
patriotically  began  to  pour  powder  into  the  hole,  but  it  came 
out  again  like  the  crack  of  a  volcano,  carrying  Joe  high  in  air. 

Well,  Joe  naturally  came 
down  after  the  space  of 
about  a  quarter  of  an  hour, 
with  the  crowbar  still  in 
his  hands.  With  new  zeal 
he  resumed  the  drilling, 
but  what  was  his  astonish- 
ment when  he  heard  tones 
more  human  than  before 
his  departure,  and  what 
was  still  more  strange,  upon 
hoisting  his  crowbar  he 
found  that  the  point  thereof 
was  of  a  sanguinary  hue. 
Plodding  Joe  wasn't 
sharper  than  common  fel- 
lows, yet  he  formed  an 
opinion  that  made  hira 
leave  his  drill  suddenly  behind  him  at  the  rate  of  two 
bumble-bees  and  a  hornet  on  the  course. 

Running  across  some  straggling  miners,  he  and  they 
evinced  enough  curiosity  to  return  and  hold  a  deliberation 
over  the  bloody  crowbar.  One  thought  Joe  had  speared  the 
Old  Fellow  of  the  lower  regions,  which  theory  seemed  to 
explain  the  blowing-up  arrangement ;  another  suggested  that 
a  rich  miser  might  be  caged  up  here  as  a  punishment  for 
extracting  tbe  gold  from  the  rock.  This  was  a  happy 
thought  —  "  Perhaps  he  has  his  gold  with  him ;  "  so  down 


"hire  I  AM  again!" 


INQUEST  AND  VERDICT.  109 

went  the  crowbar  into  tlie  hole  again.  But  no  human  tone 
was  heard.  Yet  upon  lifting  the  instrument,  fresh  blood 
appeared  upon  the  iron.  Harder  than  ever  they  worked ; 
but  all  was  silence,  save  a  jarring,  grating  sound  produced 
by  the  fall.  Now  they  reasoned  among  tliemselves  and 
drilled  other  holes.  Having  completed  six  drills  in  the 
form  of  a  parallelogram,  they  prepared  for  blasting,  lighted 
the  fuse  and  then  ran  awa3^ 

A  tremendous  explosion  ensued,  but  as  there  were  no 
supernatural  results,  they  concluded  that  if  it  was  the  devil, 
they  had  snrely  killed  him.  So  cautiously  approaching,  they 
peeped  down  into  the  excavation,  and  there  discovered  the 
body  of  an  old  miner  noted  for  his  untidiness  of  person, 
who  had  mysteriously  disappeared  some  time  previous. 
An  inquest  was  at  once  held,  and  the  written  verdict  was 
drawn  up  as  follows : 

"  Whereas,  our  comrade  laid  down  here  exhausted  with 
the  burden  of  eai-th  and  stone  dust  which  had  accumulated 
over  him  to  a  frightful  extent,  be  it  known  that  it  was 
found  necessary  to  blast  him  out,  though  we  sincerely  re- 
gretted the  loss  of  a  brother. 

Whereas,  by  his  side  lay  a  great  bag  of  tobacco,  nearly 
emptied  of  its  contents,  and  in  his  mouth  remained  the 
stem  of  a  pipe  yet  smoking,  be  it  known  that  it  was  this 
pipe  which  discharged  the  first  blast  of  powder,  and  might 
as  well  have  killed  Plodding  Joe. 

And  as  a  memorial,  we  regret  that  he  left  nothing  to  his 
memory,  and  that  we  did  not  leave  him  to  his  own  natural 
burying." 

Of  course  we  visited  the  Seal  Rocks.  Fast  horses,  stvlish 
gentlemen  and  fair  ladies,  were  continually  swec|)ing  along 
that  drive  of  six  miles  leading  thither  from  San  Francisco. 
A  cold,  penetrating  sea  breeze  blew  sharply  when  we  went, 
ending  the  pleasure  of  some,  and  rousing  up  the  latent  vigor 
of  others. 

Arrived  at  the  Seal  Rock  House,  we  took  our  seats  on  the 
portico,  high  above  the  wild  Pacific  waves  that  ever  dashed 


110  "BEX.  BUTLER"  AT  HOME. 

upon  tlie  worn  rocks  beneath  ns.  Within  gunshot  were  a 
score  of  seals,  as  safely  protected  from  harm  through  the 
veneration  of  mankind,  as  are  the  pigeons  of  Venice.  Leap- 
inc  head-foremost  from  the  rocks,  tusselin<?  with  one 
another  at  various  depths  in  the  water,  scrambling  up  the 
sides  of  the  rocks,  washed  back  by  the  next  wave,  contend- 
ing for  position,  but  finally  rolling  in  the  embrace  of  one 
another  into  the  splashing  waters,  all  the  while  roaring  and 
yawning,  like  lions  in  distress,  they  enact  scenes  upon  which 
thousands  look  with  interest. 

But  their  sleepy  moods  attracted  my  most  earnest  atten- 
tion. Here  came  "  Old  Ben.  Butler,"  as  they  called  him, 
from  his  cold  bath  to  the  warm  sunny  bed  that  he  preempted 
many  years  ago,  the  right  to  which  he  still  seemed  inclined 
to  maintain.  Some  of  the  seals,  sleek  as  moles  from  their 
late  baths,  made  way  for  him  to  pass ;  while  many  others,  in 
profound  sleep  moved  not  till  Ben,  raked  his  finny  paws 
across  their  noses,  or  gave  them  a  shower  bath  from  his 
dripping  hide.  But  Ben.  now  runs  across  an  old  sleeper 
that  claims  the  dignity  of  being  respected,  and  growling 
gives  hnn  to  understand  that  he  must  not  waken  him.  Ben. 
however,  persists  in  telling  him  to  get  out  of  the  way  or  he 
will  climb  over  him.  But  the  sleeper  only  roars  and  snores; 
so  Old  Ben.  gives  him  a  smack  on  the  jaw,  at  which  the 
snorer  throws  up  his  long  tusks,  opens  his  red,  terrific  mouth, 
and  invites  him  to  walk  in.  As  Ben.  accepts  the  invitation, 
they  rake  each  other  down  with  their  tusks,  as  if  climbing 
icebergs.  They  tumble  over  others  in  profound  sleep,  who 
in  turn  awaken,  until  the  disturbance  becomes  general,  and 
each  one  growls,  or  roars,  or  yawns,  and  complains  of  the 
ways  of  Providence. 

In  the  distance,  a  score  of  miles  of  more,  the  jagged 
Forlorn  Rocks  rise  from  the  water  like  the  adamantine 
remains  of  mountains  stormed  by  the  sea.  Over  their  steep 
sides,  like  spots  on  a  leopard's  back,  M-ere  the  nests  of  the 
sea  gulls,  thousands  in  number,  on  which  sat  birds  of  various 
colors. 


CHAPTER  X. 
FIRE    AND    BRIMSTONE. 

SOME  people  do  not  profess  to  believe  in  "  fire  and  brim- 
stone;" such  persons,  evidently,  never  saw  the  Geysers 
of  California.  Let  the  boldest  person  stand  by  the  Devil's 
Chaldron,  as  black  as  night,  and  feel  the  very  ground  burning 
his  boots,  and  breathe  the  stifling  sulphur,  and  behold  the 
vapor  from  a  hundred  fissures  steaming  about  him,  and  if  he 
doesn't  inwardly  exclaim,  "  Beneath  is  the  fiery  abyss  ready 
to  burn  up  the  world  and  the  wicked,"  he  surely  possesses  a 
conscience  serenely  tranquil. 

As  we  approached  this  interesting  iocaiity  we  plunged 
down  the  winding  mountain  path,  and  quickly  arriving  at 
the  bottom  of  a  narrow  valley,  gazed  upon  a  wonderful  sight. 
Behold  !  all  over  the  lower  slope  of  one  side  of  the  mountains, 
and  for  a  short  distance  up  a  steep  ravine  branching  off  from 
the  principal  stream,  dense  vapors  are  rising.  Here  it  seems 
is  the  great  laboratory  of  Nature,  in  which  are  not  bottles  of 
chemicals,  but  hills  and  mountains  of  unstable  acids  which 
are  set  into  heaving  commotion  by  some  unseen  agency. 

With  stick  in  hand  to  feel  our  way,  we  follow  up  the 
ravine  leading  into  the  mountains.  All  around  us  are  a 
thousand  holes  and  crevices,  each  having  a  peculiarity  of  its 
own,  yet  from  each  comes  a  hissing  and  steaming  as  if  a 
hundred  machine  shops  were  at  work,  a  hundred  furnaces  in 
full  blast.  The  ground  is  hot — our  feet  are  burning — and 
each  step  seems  hotter  than  the  last.  The  earth  shakes 
beneath  us ;  the  hot  vapor  rises  to  our  faces ;  we  are  almost 

111 


112 


THE  LABORATORY  OF  NATURE. 


suffocated,  and  liurrj  on  as  fast  as  possible.  In  some  places 
the  water  is  clear  as  crystal,  in  others  as  black  and  thick  as 
tar,  and  varying  from  luke-warm  to  boiling  heat. 

"We  are  now  at  the  "  Witches'  Chaldron,"  an  opening  six 
or  eight  feet  in  diameter,  whose  black,  thick  waters  boil, 
heave,  and  bubble.  Should  Caleb  and  I  fall  within  we  would 
become  the  witch's  soap-grease  on  short  notice,  and  all  that 
would  be  left  to  tell  of  our  former  grandeur  would  be  a  few 
brass  buttons. 

Further  on  up  this  ravine,  not  more  than  fifty  feet  from 
its  boiling  waters,  under  its  shady  trees  we  take  a  drink  at  a 
refreshing  spring,  cool  and  clear.  Other  parts  of  the  Geysers, 
other  than  up  this  ravine,  are  similar,  but  less  striking.  From 
the  floating  vapors  is  deposited  everywhere  a  thick  coating 
varying  in  color  from  white  to  yellow.  In  places  it  has  an 
acid  taste;  in  others  it  seems  to  be  pure  sulphur. 

Wandering  down  from  the  Geyser  House,  we  chanced  to 
run  upon  a  bachelor's  hall,  where  anyone  of  this  persuasion 
suffering  from  dyspepsia,  rheumatism,  or  disappointed  love, 


BACU£LUKS    HALL. 


could  board  at  seven  dollars  a  week,  eat  hard  bread  baked  in 
the  ashes,  sleep  on  the  floor,  and  bathe  in  the  mineral  springs, 
providing  he  furnished  his  own  towel  or  agreed  to  dry  in  the 
sun. 


THE  COAST  RANGES  113 

"We  returned  from  the  Geysers  by  a  route  which  led  down 
the  Sonoma  and  Santa  Kosa  Valleys.  For  a  couple  of  miles 
from  the  Geysers,  the  road  wound  along  the  side  of  the 
mountains,  up  one  of  the  steepest  grades.  We  followed  for 
several  miles  the  summit  of  a  range  fo  narrow  that  in  places 
there  was  barely  room  for  the  coach,  and  so  steep  on  either 
side  that  it  was  frightful  to  look  down,  it  being  several 
thousand  feet  to  the  bottom.  Casting  the  eye  along  this 
narrow  ridge,  the  winding  road  seemed  like  a  long  wavy 
thread  floating  in  the  air;  other  ranges  on  either  side, 
approached  till  the  chasm  between  was  almost  bridged  over. 

At  Petaluma  we  took  a  steamer  and  sailed  down  the  Rus- 
sian River,  and  across  the  bay  to  San  Francisco,  having  spent 
three  or  four  days  very  pleasantly  and  profitably.  On  this 
trip  to  the  Geysers  we  saw  some  of  the  finest  portions  of 
California. 

The  dry  mountain  air  and  the  moist  ocean  breezes  play 
hide  and  seek  through  San  Francisco  Bay,  while  sunshine 
and  fog  clap  their  hands  over  the  great  city.  But  in  the 
long  narrow  valleys,  between  the  Coast  Ranges,  bright  spring 
prevails,  though  occasionally  fog  from  the  bay  is  driven  far 
up  their  endless  windings.  These  valleys  repose  between 
steep  green  mountains,  over  which  vineyards  are  beginning 
to  spread,  like  tlie  picturesque  hills  of  Italy  and  Switzerland 
where  the  mountain  sides  teem  with  villages,  and  prophesy 
the  future  of  our  own  illimitable  West,  when  upon  her  num- 
berless mountain-sides  shall  be  found  the  happy  homes  of 
peace  and  prosperity. 


CHAPTER   XI. 
POETRY   OF  THE   OCEAK 

"TTTE  became  acquainted  -o-ith  the  oldest  inhabitant  of 
T  T  San  Francisco,  at  least  lie  claimed  that  honor,  and  he 
looked  as  though  his  claim  was  as  good  as  any  other  person 
to  that  distinction ;  said  he,  "  I  believe  there  are  now  but 
seven  hundred  who  profess  to  have  been  the  first  settler ;  and 
as  their  powers  of  absorption  must  increase  as  their  num- 
bers diminish,  why,  it  won't  be  long  before  this  oldest 
inhabitant  business  will  be  done  away  with.  Why,  gentle- 
men, I  have  had  nigh  a  hundred  men  try  to  make  me  believe 
they  were  here  before  I  thought  of  coming;  yes  sir,  and  there 
were  persons  who  believed  them." 

He  lived  near  an  over-hanging  rock  from  which  a  view  of 
the  great  bay  could  be  obtained  when  it  was  not  foggy.  It 
was  a  beautiful  outlook ;  and  here  we  watched  the  ships 
enter  and  depart,  longing  for  the  arrival  of  the  one  on  which 
we  had  engaged  passage  for  Japan.  The  time  would  have 
passed  tediously  indeed  but  for  our  "  first  settler,"  who  had 
a  story  connected  with  every  point  of  interest  about  the  bay. 
If  a  vessel  carried  the  Spanish  flag,  it  suggested  to  him  some 
etory  of  intrigue;  if  English,  something  commercial.  Eut 
one  day  in  the  midst  of  a  romantic  story,  he  shaded  his  eyes 
wnth  one  hand  and  pointing  towards  a  large  steamer,  informed 
us,  that  that  was  our  vessel.  We  never  heard  the  end  of  his 
story,  but  from  that  moment  became  absorbed  in  the  prepa- 
rations for  departure. 

To  one  who  had  never  seen  an  ocean  steamer  this  vessel 

114 


> 


K 
C 

n 


GOOD-BYE  TO  SAN  FRANCISCO.  117 

was  trul}'  a  wonder.  "We  paced  the  deck  and  found  it  to  be 
one  hundred  and  twent^'-five  good  steps  in  length,  and  twenty- 
five  in  breadth  ;  looking  down  from  its  lofty  side  the  people  on 
the  wharf  seemed  like  Lilliputians  moving  like  a  colony 
of  ants,  amid  heaps  of  barrels,  boxes,  and  bales.  On  one 
side  a  huge  chasm  received  twelve  hundred  tons  of  fuel  for 
our  outward  voyage,  and  when  the  grimy  men  had  completed 
their  task  of  loading  the  coal,  the  keel  of  the  steamer  seemed 
only  a  foot  or  two  deeper  in  the  water.  Dny  and  night  men 
and  horses  tugged  at  the  freight,  and  yet  there  was  room 
for  more. 

At  length  the  time  for  sailing  arrived.  At  the  last  hour 
two  wagons  laden  with  barrels  came  down  to  the  wharf, 
while  the  crowds  of  Chinese  reverently  parted  to  allow  the 
wagons  to  approach  close  to  the  side  of  the  vessel.  Then 
the  barrels  were  hoisted  on  board,  each  one  marked  Avith 
curious  Chinese  characters  announcing  that  Sing  Lung  or 
Hum  Po  might  be  found  pickled  within — at  least  so  we 
were  told  by  a  very  intelligent  Chinese  steward,  who  also 
informed  us  that  every  steamer  carried  back  a  number  of 
these  dead  Celestials — the  most  darling  desire  of  all  of  them 
being  to  be  buried  in  their  native  land. 

Finally  the  ropes  which  secured  the  ship  to  the  wharf 
were  cast  off,  the  liugh  paddle  wheels  revolved,  and  amid  the 
shoutings  and  "  God  speed  "  of  thousands,  we  passed  down 
the  bay  and  out  the  Golden  Horn  into  the  Pacific  Ocean. 

It  was  far  from  pleasant  yet  we  charitably  loaned  ourselves 
to  dissembling  a  little  libel.  "Isn't  this  delightful,"  said 
Caleb.  I  said  "  Yes  ;  glorious."  I  referred  to  the  fog,  which 
was  so  thick  we  could  not  see  twenty-five  feet  in  any  direc- 
tion, which  was  a  mercy  perhaps,  for  had  I  been  permitted 
to  see  the  shore  I  might  have  attempted  to  try  a  long  swim. 

Some  one  suggested  that  it  would  be  pleasant  to  sit  near 
the  warm  smoke-stack  ;  so  we  moved  thither,  and  tried  to 
enjoy  the  delightful  views  of  the  ocean.  It  was  not  our 
intention  be  it  understood  to  try  to  drive  away  sea-sickness, 
thoyarh  I  am  of  the  oDinion  that  the  breeze  was  capable  of 


118  CONVERSATIONS  WITH  THE  riLOT. 

driving  away  anything  else.  Some  of  ns  liked  our  novel 
situation  so  much  that  we  forgot  to  go  down  to  tea.  The 
deep  bass  of  the  sounding  gong  had  no  music  for  us  while 
listening  to  the  roar  of  the  billows.  Soon  the  darkness  of 
the  night  closed  around  us,  yet  some  two  or  three  of  us 
still  lingered,  talking  of  the  grand  old  ocean,  until  the 
engineer  on  duty  passed  on  his  third  or  fourth  round  with 
his  lantern,  to  oil  and  examine  the  machinery ;  soon  after 
the  bell  tolled  half  past  nine  we  retired  to  our  state  rooms. 

The  next  morning  when  we  came  upon  deck,  the  drunken 
vessel,  the  dizzy-headed  spars  before  our  eyes,  reminded  us 
of  what  we  would  fain  forget. 

Although  the  vessel  was  surging  yet  I  managed  to  stagger 
toward  the  bow.  Oh  1  was  feeling  delicious — just  indeed 
like  a  sea-sick  man,  a  condition  which  to  be  fully  appreciated 
must  be  experienced.     Meeting  the  first  mate  I  said : 

"  Yery  rough  !  " 

"  Ah  mv  friend  we  are  having  a  smooth  sea." 

I  staggered  on,  I  didn't  want  to  hear  anything  more  from 
him  ;  on  reaching  the  pilot  house,  I  looked  in  and  inno- 
cently suggested : 

"  "What  an  unsteady  sea  we  are  having." 

"  There's  nothing  rough  about  this,"  was  the  reply. 

I  turned  my  back  upon  the  speaker  at  once,  saying  to 
myself:     "  He's  a  fraud  and  knows  better." 

Stepping  forward  I  leaned  against  the  compass  stand.  To 
and  fro  the  third  mate  on  watch  was  passing.  He  approached  ; 
I  wondered  if  he  was  "  another."  I  meant  liar,  but  didn't 
say  it.     Catching  his  eye  I  remarked  : 

"  Quite  blustering  this  morning !  " 

"  Ha  !  ha !  things  are  rather  on  a  calm." 

I  could  scarcely  refrain  from  telling  him  that  he  and  all 
the  rest  of  the  crew  were  lunatics.  I  looked  toward  the 
Chinaman  on  watch  at  the  extreme  forward  point  of  the 
vessel.  I  wanted  to  get  his  opinion,  and  if  he  didn't  say  it 
was  rough,  I  felt  I  should  throw  him  overboard.  Just  then 
the  vessel  gave  a  mighty  lurch ;   I   slipped,  and  tumbling 


RATHER  ROUGH  ON  WILDAIR. 


119 


upon  the  deck  was  splashed  by  a  wave,  all  of  which  was  a 
source  of  great  merriment  to  the  mate  and  Chinaman.     As 


ONLY    A    RIPPLE,  SIR. 


I  climbed  up  I  cast  an  angry  look  towards  the  officer,  where- 
upon he  remarked : 

"  Ha !  ha !  these  are  only  ripples." 

I  had  felt  indignant  enough  before,  but  to  get  ducked  and 
be  laughed  at  overcame  my  composure.     So  I  said: 

"  Any  fool  knows  this  is  rough ; "  and  after  saying  that  I 
quickly  left  the  locality,  and  went  staggering  off'  towards 
Caleb.  After  relating  to  him  what  the  wretches  had  said  he 
thought  their  object  had  been  to  make  it  appear  that  they 
had  been  in  some  wonderful  storm.  This  quite  appeased 
my  anger  and  we  went  down  to  dinner,  but  were  only  able 
to  look  upon  the  others  enjoying  the  meal,  ourselves  not 
being  just  now  in  good  appetite. 

After  dinner  the  conversation  turned  upon  the  voyage.  I 
became  quite  animated,  tried  to  look  lively,  and  remarked  : 


120 


INWARD  CONVICTIONS. 


"You  don't  generally  experience  sucli  smooth  seas?" 

One  of  the  officers  unconsciously  remarked  : 

"  Oh,  so  far  it  has  been  rather  rough." 

"  Rough  !     I  call  these  only  ripples." 

Seeing  their  astonishment  at  my  facetious  replies  I  quietly 
Avalked  away,  the  passengers  evidently  thinking  meanwhile 
that  the  green  seamen  had  run  across  an  old  sailor. 

As  day  after  day  dragged  slowly  along  we  were  unable  to 
picture  to  ourselves  such  a  thing  as  stability  amid  the  end- 
less world  of  w^ater  which  tossed  us  to  and  fro  on  its  capricious 
waves.  "We're  not  sea-sic-liic ; "  oh  no!  but  inwardly 
we  had  deep  convictions  that  anything  in  the  wide  world 
would  be  a  relief  if  Ave  could  but  make  any  exchange  of  our 
feelii"igs  ;  so  we  drank  slyly  a  quart  or  two  of  sea-water,  which 
helped  us  to  pour  out  our  pent  up  griefs  and  woes  upon  the 
bosom  of  old  Ocean.     Each  outburst  of  our  sorrow  gave  a 

renewed  hope  of  relief,  and 


finally  we  were  all  right,  a 
little  weak  in  our  nerves, 
but  picking  up  in  strength 
of  appetite. 

To  some  extent  the  poetry 
and  sublimity  of  the  ocean 
at  last  was  realized.  To  our 
surprise  it  soon  became  our 
delig-ht  to  sit  at  the  extreme 
end  of  the  bow  as  it  almost 
dipped  the  waters,  then 
arose  thirty  or  forty  feet 
above  the  dancing  waves. 
A  shoal  of  whales  which  wo 
passed  the  first  morning 
from  San  Francisco  had 
hardly  attracted  our  atten- 

CASTISG    BREAD    CPOS    THE    WATERS.  |Jon      althOUgll      tllCSC     CCta- 

ceous  monarchs  of  the  ocean  were  spouting  water  high  into  the 
air  with  every  exhalation.    Notwithstanding  we  then  passed 


SCENES  AT  SEA,  121 

througli  linndreds  of  miles  where  the  blue  deep  below  was 
dotted  tliick  as  the  stars  above  by  blubber-fish,  yet  they 
hardly  aroused  our  curiosity.  But  now  we  could  sit  for  hours, 
watehincj  the  flying-fish  as  they  shot  out  of  one  side  of  a 
billow,  flitted  across  the  chasm,  then  disappeared  in  the  next 
wave  ;  or  tracing  the  course  of  some  large  flsh  by  the  silver 
wings  that  flew  up  along  his  track ;  or  again  watching  with 
delight  the  foam-capped  billows  chase  each  other  from  where 
the  deep  blue  waters  seemed  to  mingle  with  the  clouds  above  ; 
thus  days  of  rest  faded  unconsciously  into  nights  of  dreams. 
Seen  at  a  distance  a  shoal  of  porpoises  leaping  fi-om  the 
water  reminded  me  of  a  drove  of  black  hogs  or  buffalo 
ranting  through  the  tall  grass  on  our  "Western  jirairies. 
They  were  a  common  scene;  but  one  morning  as  the  sea  was 
rolling  high,  we  noticed  from  our  window  a  very  large  scull 
of  them  near  our  vessel.  "\V"e  hurried  upon  deck  to  obtain  a 
better  view.  Leaping  from  one  wave  and  plunging  into  the 
next,  playing  all  about  the  bow,  they  sported  with  the  pur- 
suinir  vessel.  AVe  looked  far  down  into  the  water  at  their 
graceful  motions,  and  as  they  swam  they  hardly  seemed  to 
wave  ;  j'et,  when  their  fins,  which  were  ranged  like  spears 
along  their  backs,  came  to  the  surface  it  was  as  though  so 
many  swords  with  the  speed  of  shooting  arrows  cut  the  water. 
"When  our  vessel  touched  some  of  their  fins,  they  gave  their 
tails  a  flap  or  two  that  sent  them  darting  here  and  therewith 
the  speed  of  lightning.  They  were  a  species  of  the  dolphin 
which  chase  the  swift  flying  fish  from  the  water,  catching 
them  as  they  light,  whose  brilliant  colors  in  the  sun-light, 
flash  ever  varying  tints  of  golden  blue  and  green  with  every 
movement.  But  in  death  their  rapidly  changing  colors 
render  them  still  more  beautiful. 

"Parting  day 
Dies  lilic  the  dolphin  wliom  each  pang  imbues 
With  a  new  color  as  it  gasps  away, 
The  last  still  loveliest,  till  'tis  gone,  and  all  is  gray." 

It  was  expected  that  we  should  meet  one  of  the  other 
steamers  of  the  line  and  for  twenty-four  hours  a  watch- 
man had  been  stationed  on  a  spar  of  the  main  mast  high 


122  "  THE  AMERICA." 

above  the  light,  l^ext  morning  as  the  sun  mounted  up  the 
eastern  sky,  the  expected  steamer  approached  ns  from 
the  west ;  it  was  the  only  vessel  we  saw  during  the  whole 
voyage.  A  signal  was  given  through  our  steamer,  and  every 
person  sprang  from  his  couch  and  hastened  upon  deck.  Soon 
"we  could  see  the  waving  handkerchiefs,  and  read  upon  the 
steamer  the  name,  "  America."  The  captain  of  each  vessel 
stepped  npon  the  high  stand  over  the  side  wheel  and  loudly 
saluted  each  other,  "All's  well ;"  the  vessels  halted  side  by 
side  npon  the  broad  ocean.  Over  the  M-ave  came  half  a 
dozen  Chinese  rowers,  who,  with  even  strokes,  dipped  their 
long  oars  in  the  sea  that  Avith  every  swell  raised  them  aloft, 
then  hid  them  from  our  view.  Soon  mails  M-ere  exchano-ed : 
the  little  skiif  rowed  back  ;  the  pulley  ropes  hooked  to  its 
either  end  ;  and  the  steamers  were  again  under  way  M-hile  the 
dangling  oarsmen  were  assisting  to  hoist  their  boat  up  the 
side  of  the  vessel. 

Boom  !  boom  !  and  either  vessel  trembled  while  the  sound 
of  the  cannon's  roar  died  away  without  an  echo  in  that 
bonndless  space  as  imperceptibly  vanished  the  forms  on  that 
departing  vessel,  strangers  from  far  distant  climes,  with  whom 
we  had  exchanged  the  welcome  of  friendship,  meeting  npon 
this  wide  breadth  of  water  far  from  our  homes.  Soon  the 
hull  of  their  vessel  dropped  over  the  wave,  the  little .  sail 
glided  down  beyond  the  encircling  rim  of  the  ocean,  and 
left  us  gazing  vacantly  in  the  distance,  while  our  thoughts 
went  out  towards  that  bright  land  which  contained  home, 
friends,  all  the  past,  and  like  the  "America"  seemed  to  be 
passing  away. 

Only  four  trips  more  did  this  steamer,  honored  by  the 
name  of  our  country,  make  over  the  billows;  for  not  long 
after  we  met  her,  the  mountains  and  bay  around  Yeddo  wero 
lighted  up  by  the  vanishing  glory  of  the  largest  of  our 
Pacific  Steamers,  the  ill-fated  America. 


CHAPTEPv  Xn. 
A  VOYAGE  ON  THE  rACIFIC. 

• 

BY  degrees  vre  became  accustomed  to  sea  life,  spending 
many  an  hour,  that  otherwise  would  have  been  monoto- 
nous, sitting  on  deck  in  the  cool  of  the  evening,  listening  to 
yarns  of  the  deep.  Nearly  all  of  the  score  of  European 
passengers  except  ourselves  had  been  accustomed  to  sea 
voyages,  and  several  had  been  officers  on  ship  board ;  and  as 
farmers  love  to  talk  about  their  pigs,  corn,  and  horses,  so 
these  bold  sailors  never  tired  of  relating  incidents  of  wrecks, 
adventures,  and  narrow  escapes.  One  evening,  at  our  usual 
assembly,  an  old  salt  remarked  : — 

"  I  always  noticed  that  when  a  missionary  was  on  board 
our  vessel  we  had  a  rough  voyage." 

"  I  see  no  reason  for  that,"  replied  one  of  the  passengers. 

"  It's  even  so,"  responded  another  seaman.  "  Once  we 
had  about  a  dozen  on  board,  and  I  thought  the  vessel  would 
go  to  pieces !  'Twas  rough  all  the  way.  "When  our  steamer 
was  wrecked,"  continued  he,  "our  cat  was  not  on  board.  It 
was  the  first  trip  he  ever  missed,  and  he  always  seemed  to 
know  the  hour  when  we  were  to  sail.  Even  the  rats  scamp- 
ered off;  and  seeing  it,  several  of  the  sailors  absolutely 
refused  to  go  on  board." 

Then  he  went  on  with  a  long  and  tedious  story,  only  the 
remnant  of  which  we  will  relate.  But  we  listened  to  it  all 
patiently,  because  we  had  nothing  else  in  the  world  to  do. 

"  After  the  steamer  struck  the  rock  the  crew  and  passen- 
gers escaped  to  the  island  near  by      As  the  fury  of  the  waves 

123 


124 


A  SEAMAN'S  YARN. 


increased,  the  thought  occurred  to  me  that  if  we  obtained 
an}^  provisions  from  the  ship  it  would  liave  to  be  done  quickly. 
So  I  gathered  half  a  dozen  of  the  boys  and  started  in  one  of 
the  boats.  The  way  we  M-ere  togsed  about  was  indeed  fright- 
ful !  But  as  one  can  not  die  until  his  time  comes,  we  finally 
reached  the  vessel,  and  four  of  us  climbed  upon  the  deck. 
We  chopped  holes  into  the  provision  room,  and  took  out  just 
what  we  wanted,  only  the  ducks  and  geese  were  all  drowned. 
Then  we  went  to  the  cattle  stall,  and  lo !  one  steer  had  his 
head  above  water.  After  great  efforts  we  chopped  him  out 
also,  and  then  pushed  him  overboard.     lie  went  splashing 


A    STEER-AGE    PASSENGER  S    FIRST    DIVE. 


into  the  water  with  head  and  tail  erect.  It  was  his  first  dive, 
and  a  deep  one  too,  but  he  rose  and  swam  safely  to  the 
island.  AVe  followed,  but  I  had  ordered  some  of  the  boys, 
when  we  reached  the  shore  with  the  provisions,  to  be  ready 
with  clubs,  and  to  run  in,  knocking  passengers  and  every  one 
else  out  of  the  way.  So  as  we  came  riding  upon  the  sand  on 
a  tremendous  wave  I  shouted,  'Now  boys,'  and  on  they 
rushed  with  their  clubs.  One  gathered  a  sack,  another  a  ham 
of  bacon,  and  off"  we  ran  into  a  distant  part  of  the  island  into 
the  brush,  and  hid  our  provisions  in  the  sand.  I  rather 
think  we  feasted  then  to  our  fill." 

Then  followed  a  long  account  of  the  killing  of  the  steer, 


OFFERINGS  TO  THE  GODS.  125 

and  of  various  squabbles  in  all  of  which  he  was  the  hero ; 
after  which  he  concluded  with  the  following: — 

"  Several  days  rolled  by  on  the  island,  and  the  time  came 
when  another  steamer  should  be  aloni^ ;  finally  we  saw  her 
in  the  distance  and  hoisted  signals  to  attract  attention,  but 
on  she  went.  "When  however  all  were  just  giving  her  up, 
we  noticed  she  was  turning,  and  knew  we  were  observed. 
When  she  came  np,  the  way  I  hurried  the  lean  passengers 
aboard  wasn't  slow." 

After  he  had  finished  his  story,  a  gentleman  who  had  some 
knowledfi^e  of  him  and  knew  he  had  never  ranked  hiirher 
than  assistant  engineer,  wounded  his  vanity  somewhat  by 
remarking  as  if  for  information  : — 

"You  were  captain  of  the  wrecked  steamer?" 

But  he  did  not  seem  to  know  that  an  answer  was  in  order, 
and  said  nothing. 

Though  living  exposed  to  influences  that  are  very  demor- 
alizing, sailors  of  all  nations  have  an  instinctive  trust  in  the 
God  of  the  waves  and  the  storm.  We  were  told  by  the 
engineer  that  once  during  a  fearful  Typhoon,  the  Chinese 
firemen  deserted  the  furnaces  to  implore  their  god  Josh,  and 
that  oflicers  with  drawn  clubs  were  necessary  to  keep  them 
at  their  posts  of  duty.  Some  of  the  Chinese  passengers  on 
our  steamer  would  approach  the  side  of  the  vessel  during  a 
storm,  and  scatter  to  the  wind  and  the  waves  showers  of 
paper — bank-notes  of  the  priests  to  buy  the  favor  of  the 
gods  of  these  elements. 

As  soon  as  the  storm  abated  these  same  passengers  would 
fall  upon  their  knees,  in  groups,  and  commence  gambling; 
while  the  Europeans,  passengers  and  ofticers,  staked  money, 
as  to  the  distance  passed,  more  eagerly  than  on  former  days 
as  the  storm  had  rendered  the  speed  more  uncertain.  A 
machine  oiler  told  me  how  shrewdly  he  had  pulled  the 
strings  by  betting  ten  dollars  with  a  waiter  that  they  would 
not  make  under  two  hundred  miles,  and  with  a  steward  that 
they  would  not  make  over  two  hundred  and  fifty.  "  Kow," 
says  he,  "  if  it  falls  on  either  side  I  lose  nothing ;  if  between, 
I  gain  both — do  you  see  ? " 


126 


AN  ECCENTRIC  CALENDAR. 


One  afternoon  a  strange  incident  transpired.  In  the 
twinkling  of  an  eje  we  crossed  the  180^  meridian  from 
Greenwich,  and  jumped  from  Saturday  the  15th,  directly  into 
Sunday  the  16th,  In  crossing  this  meridian  in  the  opposite 
direction,  they  told  us  they  were  sometimes  thrown  from 
Sunday  into  Saturday,  having  then  to  pass  through  another 
Sunday.  Dear  knows  they  need  to  pass  through  half-a-dozen 
to  learn  how  to  keep  them  properly. 

Next  morning  after  this  occurrence  a  Chinaman  came 
•wandering  vacantly  into  the  cabin.  We  supposed  this  con- 
fusion of  the  calendar  had  deranged  his  brain.     The  guard 


A    TRYING    TIME. 


soon  ushered  him  out,  and  on  followins:  soon  after  we  found 
him  handcuffed  to  a  post  in  a  distant  part  of  the  ship.  A 
crowd  was  collected  around,  laughing  at  his  futile  attempts 
to  release  his  wrists.  Soon  along  came  the  "  tater-peeler " 
on  his  way  to  the  cellar;  to  be  very  smart  he  went  through 
the  motion  of  unlocking  the  handcuffs.     Seeing  the  absent 


FROM  GAY  TO  GRAVE, 


127 


looks  of  the  crazy  man  showed  notliing  of  suspicion,  but 
rather  of  expectation,  he  tried  his  trichs  still  further,  makin<ij 
signs  that  he  was  going  to  unlock  his  mouth  ;  upon  which  the 
fellow  opened  his  lips,  to  the  great  merriment  of  the  by- 
standers. 

But  the  farce  was  soon  changed  to  what  threatened  to  be 
a  tragedy.  There  was  a  great  commotion  in  the  crowd, 
caused  by  a  couple  of  Chinamen  who  were  assaulting  each 
other  with  knives  in  a  Inost  reckless  manner.     Luckily  the 


A    QUEUE-RIOUS    SEPARATION. 


guards  were  on  the  spot  in  time  to  help  them  out  of  the 
difficulty,  which  they  did  by  seizing  them  by  their  head-tails 
and  jerking  them  apart  in  an  energetic  manner. 

The  Chinese  are  like  sheep,  gentle  and  patient,  detesting 
and  fearing  to  fight,  but  wlien  once  aroused,  courageous  and 
malicious,  knocking  each  other's  brains  out  at  the  shortest 
notice.     I  was  told  they  never  fight  with  their  fists.     They 


128  DRIFTED  OUT  TO  SEA. 

act  on  tlie  principle  that  as  fighting  is  horrible  it  should  he 
done  in  the  shortest  M'ay. 

Down  among  the  Ciiinese  passengers  -were  three  Japanese, 
who  had  been  picked  up  by  our  steamer  on  h«r  last  voyage 
to  America.  When  three  days  out  from  Japan  the  attention 
of  the  crew  was  directed  to  an  object  on  the  horizon,  which, 
by  aid  of  glasses,  was  discovered  to  be  a  small  boat  fer  out 
on  the  broad  ocean.  As  the  steamer  approached  it  and 
whistled,  a  hand  waved  a  response  out  of  the  little  window. 
One  of  the  boats  was  loM'ered,  and  sent  to  the  relief  of  its 
inmates,  who  were  found  near  the  last  extremity  of  starva- 
tion, while  one  already  dead  had  been  fed  upon  by  his  sur- 
viving comrades.  Driven  out  by  the  change  of  the  monsoon, 
and  losing  their  rudder,  they  had  been  drifting  about  in  the 
ocean  for  three  months. 

After  being  fed  and  clothed  in  American  costume  by  the 
Japanese  consul  at  San  Francisco,  they  were  now  going  back 
home  on  the  ship  which  saved  them.  Like  all  Japanese  they 
were  very  polite.  On  making  their  final  acknowledgement 
of  gratitude  to  the  captain,  they  bowed  their  faces  to  the 
floor  of  the  deck  and  almost  crawled  into  his  presence. 
They  were  of  the  lowest  class  of  Japanese,  who  wear  scarcely 
any  clothes  in  summer,  and  their  re-appearance  in  such 
strange  attire  must  have  surprised  their  friends. 

Among  the  cabin  passengers  were  two  other  Japanese,  who 
had  been  to  America  preparing  themselves  for  interpreters. 
They  dressed  in  our  costume,  wore  kid  gloves,  smoked  cigars, 
and  seemed  in  every  way  ready  to  adopt  American  ways ; 
while  a  Chinese  commissioner,  also  a  cabin  passenger, 
deviated  not  the  least  from  Chinese  dress. 

"VVe  all  rose  early  on  the  morning  of  the  24th,  and  as  the 
sun  first  looked  down  upon  the  surrounding  scene  the  moun- 
tainous shores  of  Japan  rose  out  of  the  depths  of  water. 
It  was  Niphon,  the  kingdom  of  the  Eising  Sun  ;  and  we 
imagined  that  his  majesty  never  rose  on  a  greener  or  more 
beautiful  isle.  Small  sailing  vessels,  and  smaller  craft  M-ith- 
out  sails,  were  in  sight,  and  as  our  gigantic  ship  plowed  by 


WE  ANCHOR  IX  YEDDO  BAY.  129 

them,  their  crews  looked  np  with  wonder,  while  we,  on  the 
otlier  hand,  looked  at  them  with  eqnal  curiosity.  The  dwell- 
ings along  the  shore,  magnified  by  our  glasses,  presented  the 
appearance  of  comfortable  homes.  Passing  into  Yeddo  Bay, 
we  were  delighted  by  the  moss-capped  rocks  and  woodland 
hills  that  rose  from  the  water's  edge  close  on  either  side  and 
rolled  away  into  mountains  and  volcanic  peaks  in  the  dis- 
tance, the  most  jDrominent  of  which  M'as  Fusyaini,  whose 
snowy  cone  arose  in  grandeur  aloft  to  the  clouds,  though 
with  ns  it  was  a  hot  summer  day. 

As  the  bay  opened,  we  were  not  less  delighted  by  the 
vegetation  that  covered  the  level  valleys,  and  climbed  away 
in  terraces  far  toward  the  summit  of  the  hills  and  mountains, 
between  strips  of  forests  left  for  fuel.  Masts  and  spars  lined 
one  side  of  the  bay,  and  Yokohama  was  in  view.  Soon  the 
signal  gun  was  fired,  and  the  surrounding  hills  and  mountains 
echoed  their  prolonged  salute.  Slowdy  our  unwieldy,  gigan- 
tic vessel  steered  up  among  ships  floating  the  flag  ot  various 
nations,  and  while  we  were  coming  safely  to  anchor  the 
Chinese  scattered  gilded  papers  as  offerings  of  gratitude  to 
their  god. 

The  American  consul  with  his  red  sash,  and  other  gentle- 
men were  already  on  board  to  hear  the  news  from  far-off 
America;  also  an  occasional  Japanese  to  change  money  or 
sell  strange  curiosities  ;  while  the  Japanese  boats,  like  buz- 
zards, were  hovering  around,  sculled  by  men  who  at  each 
stroke  answered  each  other  with  barbaric  sounds,  like  the 
hissing  of  so  many  warlike  ganders.  Stretching  their  necks 
upward  they  seemed  to  say,  "  Light  down  here  and  we  will 
paddle  you  safely  to  the  shore." 

Here  and  there  European  gentlemen,  and  an  occasional 
blushing  lady  who  had  not  yet  become  familiar  with  Japanese 
dress  and  customs,  were  taking  boats  for  the  shore ;  yet 
awhile  we  lingered,  gazing  and  asking  ourselves,  "Are  these 
Japanese,  and  cau  this  be  Japan,  at  last?" 


CHAPTER  Xin. 
SIGHT-SEEi:sG  IN  JAPAK 

WIIATEYER  is  novel  in  anything  can  be  enjoyed  but 
once  in  a  lifetime;  upon  a  second  view  it  vanishes. 
Tlie  broad  ocean  had  a  novelty  all  its  own  ;  so  when  we  found 
ourselves  in  Japan,  our  surprise  and  astonishment  was  com- 
plete. Nothing  we  had  ever  experienced  seemed  so  strange 
and  unique. 

We  felt  the  very  blood  thrilling  through  our  veins  as  we 
stepped  down  the  long  ladder  at  the  side  of  the  vessel  and 
were  rowed  away  in  a  rude  skifi  toward  the  shore,  while  we 
watched  the  two  oarsmen  as  though  they  were  the  inhabitants 
of  another  sphere  ;  yet  they  looked  as  unconcerned  as  if  they 
had  rowed  their  little  boat  here  ever  since  these  hills  first 
looked  at  each  other  across  this  bay.  We  paid  them  ten  of 
their  oblong  copper  coins  with  great  square  holes  in  the 
centers,  worth  about  a  cent  each.  At  this  they  seemed  highly 
delighted,  and  we  were  afraid  one  of  the  poor  fellows  would 
tear  his  gown  with  joy  ;  being  long  and  unfastened  in  front, 
it  alternately  covered  and  exposed  his  body  with  each  swing 
of  the  oar.  The  other  one,  if  I  remember  correctly,  had 
none  to  tear.  They  claimed  no  interest  in  our  welfare — no 
dimes  as  mementoes ;  but  that,  however,  didn't  lessen  them 
in  our  esteem. 

As  we  stepped   upon   the   rock-paved  shore  of  the  Old 

World,  every  stone  was  charged  with  an  electric  thrill ;  even 

the  air  seemed  fraught  with  the  mysterious  influences  of  the 

past  ages,  causing  the  very  hair  to  stand  on  our  heads  like 

quills  upon  the  fretful  porcupine. 

130 


PLEASANT  SCENES. 


133 


Next  to  the  bay  was  a  row  of  fine  looking  buildings,  the 
homes  of  Europeans.  The  most  familiar  object  to  our 
American  eyes  was  the  Stars  and  Stripes,  floating  above  the 
fourth  in  the  row.  It  shadowed  the  home  of  the  American 
Consul.  A  little  farther  on,  another  fl:ig  designated  the 
office  of  the  Pacitic  Mail  Steamers.  Near  by  floated  the 
flag  of  England,  above  the  home  of  the  English  Consul.  As 
we  walked  the  length  of  this  row  of  buildings,  we  admired 
the  curious  tiled  roofing,  and  the  beauty  and  the  elegance 
of  the  marble  imitation  walls,  displaying  finely  the  art  of 
the  Japanese  in  cementing.  The  yards  were  ornamented 
with  semi  tropical  plants,  and  they  presented  a  somewhat 
strange  but  pleasant  scene. 

"VYe  next  turned  our  course  to  the  city.  But  our  attention 
was  soon  absorbed  by  the  strange  sights  along  the  streets. 
On  one  hand,  rode  a  European  on  the  trot  or  full  gallop, 
and  just  before  him  to  clear  the  way  ran  a  Japanese  bettos, 
his  tattooed  body  and  swift  limbs  covered  with  dragons,  fish. 


±    FORE-RUNNER    OF    CIVILIZATION. 


and  figures  of  various  shapes  and  colors.  He  accompanied 
the  rider  to  hold  the  horse  and  render  general  service.  In 
another  direction  a  European  gentlemen,  or  a  gaily  attired 
lady  or  two,  drove  a  low  carriage  which  was  drawn  by  a 
Japanese  pony.     Beside  the  buzzing  wheels  ran  a  Japanese, 


134 


MUSICAL  JAPANESE. 


his  gown  trailing,  waving  in  the  wind,  or  swinging  on  his  arm  ; 
and  anon  he  jumped  upon  a  seat  at  the  back  of  the  carriage 
to  rest  like  an  intelligent  "dorg"  behind  his  fair  mistress. 

But  hark  !  from  whence  comes  that  wild  barbaric  noise,  fill- 
ing the  air  like  the  shrill  war-whoop  of  the  Indian.  Have  som6 
of  the  natives  with  the  most  searching  voices  been  employed 
to  awaken  the  ears  of  their  god  of  the   sun?     The  sound 


TlIK    GUKAT    ORIENTAL    EXPRESS. 


neared,  as  up  the  street  approached  a  great  two-wheeled, 
awkward  dray,  piled  with  boxes  from  the  wharf,  and  pulled 
and  pushed  by  half-a-dozen  or  more  broad  shouldered,  mus- 
cular Japanese,  who,  keeping  time  at  each  step,  strained  their 
terrific  voices  in  proportion  to  the  strain  of  their  muscles. 
When  retui-ning,  with  no  load,  the  flow  of  their  ansAvering 
tones,  lia-ho-ha  te-ho-ho  ha-te-ho,  was  not  unmusical.  In 
every  direction  the  Japanese  were  going  each  with  a  bamboo 
pole  on  his  shoulder,  to  either  end  of  which  was  swung 
some  kind  of  a  burden,  like  a  pair  of  scales. 

Here  and  there  passed  those  whose  labor  was  not  muscular. 
Instead  of  being  without  shoes  or  simple  grass-plaited  sandals, 
they  had  small  stools  three  or  four  inches  high,  loosely  fast- 
ened to  the  bottoms  of  their  feet,  causing  a  nod  and  a  clatter 
at  each  step — not  a  bad  institution,  either,  in  wet  weather. 


ARE  THEY  MEN  OR  WOMEN  ?  135 

Wildair  was  puzzled  to  distingnisli  the  men  from  the  women, 
not  being  accustomed  to  seeing  boys  wear  gowns  np  to  the 
tender  age  of  twenty-one,  and  then  conclude  it  was  too  late  to 
make  a  change,  save  to  put  on  the  suit  of  matrimony.  With 
us  even  this  suit  is  often  exchanged  for  the  suit  of  divorce. 

However,  we  soon  learned  to  distinguish  the  fair  sex,  not 
only  by  the  paint  on  their  cheeks,  but  by  the  flashy  colors  of 
their  attire,  which  they  wrapped  around  their  persons  so  closely 
that  from  head  to  foot  they  appeared  like  diminutive  lamp 
posts.  But  it  was  comical  to  see  such  figures  assuming  the 
Grecian  bend  on  their  stilted  shoes ;  such  short,  mincing 
steps  would  have  provoked  a  smile  from  Socrates. 

When  we  observed  a  majority  of  the  people  passing  bare- 
headed we  naturally  supposed  it  was  an  economical  dodge, 
but  after  discovering  that  the  men  all  bore  the  cost  of  shav- 
ing the  tops  of  their  heads  as  clean  as  a  plate,  n)aking  it 
necessary  to  carry  a  fan  or  parasol  to  defend  them  from  the 
rays  of  the  sun,  we  changed  our  minds.  It  occurred  to  me 
that  there  was  no  discount  on  baldness  here.  We  did  not 
entirely  fancy  the  manner  in  which  the  rest  of  the  hair  was 
brought  back  into  a  tail  and  daubed  thickly  with  paste. 

It  is  quite  natural  in  Japan  not  to  fancy  a  married  lady, 
her  husband  requiring  her  to  blacken  her  teeth,  pluck  out  her 
eyebrows,  and  in  short,  to  render  herself  sufficiently  hideous 
to  repel  all  would-be  admirers.  I  reckon  she  must  have  a 
false  set  for  home  use.  When  Wildair  derided  these  people 
and  called  them  a  set  of  barbarians,  I  naturally  halted 
before  a  shop  full  of  boxes  of  lacquered  ware,  whose  beauty, 
elegance  and  fineness  of  finish  no  other  people  on  the  globe 
could  equal,  and  exclaimed,  "  What  barbarians  !  how  coarse  in 
their  tastes! "  Then  in  a  few  minutes  he  M-ould  retaliate  by 
calling  my  attention  to  half-a-dozen  coolies  carrying  a  single 
man  swune:  beneath  a  beam. 

In  order  to  lay  the  foundation  stones  of  a  canal  we  saw 
them  pumping  out  the  water  by  means  of  rude  wheels,  one 
above  another,  trodden  by  men  ;  while  coolies  were  backing 
the  stone  from  the  quarry  some  distance  ofi. 
9 


136  ^  TEA  PARTY. 

*'  See  Caleb,  these  men  turn  themselves  into  pack  mules." 

"They  go  on  the  principle  that  eight  men  can  do  as  much 
work  as  one  horse  and  eat  no  more  rice ;  therefore  kill  off  the 
horses,  let  men  take  their  places,  work  for  M'hat  rice  they 
can  eat — in  short,  replace  the  liorses  with  a  more  intelligent 
breed.  And  you  see  it  has  already  worked  well  in  China, 
for  that  country  could  not  support  such  a  dense  population 
if  every  man  required  four  or  five  horses  and  a  large  farm 
for  his  support." 

"  But  please  tell  me  why  they  don't  transport  these  stones 
on  wheels  instead  of  their  shoulders,  or  use  steam  to  elevate 
this  water;  that  wouldn't  consume  rice  or  anything  men 
could  eat." 

I  scratched  my  head  by  way  of  reply  and  we  walked  on, 
passing  through  a  square  full  of  men,  women  and  even 
children,  sitting  flat  on  their  feet,  selling  fish  and  vegetables, 
many  kinds  of  which  we  had  never  seen  before. 

In  the  suburbs  we  ascended,  by  a  long  flight  of  steps,  a 
steep  woodland  hill  where  were  tea-houses— simply  a  row  of 
sheds  on  either  side  covered  with  boards  and  boughs  of  trees, 
under  which  were  furnaces  for  heating  the  tea.  The  young 
ladies  stepped  forward  and  saluted  us  "0-hi-o"  (how  are  you), 
offering  us  cups  of  the  beverage.  Just  as  I  thought  Wildair 
was  overcome  with  their  politeness,  I  gave  him  a  slight  nudge 
to  brin*i-  to  his  mind,  "  Barbarism."  AVe  drank  our  tea  stand- 
ing,  in  preference  to  sitting  on  our  heels,  after  which  we  bade 
them  an  unceremonious  good-bye,  and  wandered  leisurely 
back  into  the  city. 

Presently  we  noticed  three  or  four  boys  with  hoods  on 
their  heads,  full  of  showy  cock-feathers,  who  upon  seeing  our 
attention  called,  suddenly  spreading  their  hands  and  feet, 
rolled  sideways,  as  a  wagon  wheel,  at  rapid  speed  up  and 
down  the  street.  Then  two,  splicing  their  bodies  together, 
their  heads  in  opposite  directions,  revolved  rapidly  over  and 
over,  striking  on  their  feet.  Again,  one  bending  his  body 
backward  crept  between  his  own  standing  legs,  with  head, 
hands  and  shoulders,  until  we  were  on  the  point  of  throwing 


PAPER  BUTTERFLIES. 


187 


down  a  penny  and  asking  liim  to  turn  himself  wrong  side 
out,  but  were  deterred  by  the  unearthly  crawfish  thus  creep- 
ing towards  us  on  all  fours.  Meanwhile,  another  was  walk- 
ing around  grotesquely  on  his  hands,  his  feet  thrown  back, 


INDIA    RUBBER   BOYS. 


catching  himself  under  the  chin.  We  supposed  the  boys 
must  have  bodies  constituted  of  whalebone  and  India-rubber, 
yet  we  failed  to  see  how  a  man  could  spin  a  top  on  the  edge 
of  a  sword,  or  on  the  limber  end  of  a  stick  balanced  on  his 
nose.  But  the  most  astonishing  feat,  was  the  flying  of 
paper  butterflies,  formed  by  twisting  bits  of  paper  into  the 
shape  of  these  fairy  insects,  and  setting  them  afloat  in  a  still 
air  whose  currents  were  controlled  so  perfectly  by  means  of 
fans  that  all  the  graceful  movements  of  the  living  butterfly 
were  attained.  Tlie  dexterity  of  the  performer  caused  two 
of  the  mimic  papilios  to  engage  in  innocent  frolics  and  sports, 
then  alight  upon  the  edge  of  flowers  and  nod  as  if  to  sip  their 
nectar  sweetness. 


138  THE  SENSIBLE  MIKADO. 

"We  finally  partially  compromised  by  agreeing  that  tlieir 
civilization  and  ours  might  be  contrasted  but  not  compared. 
As  well  attempt  to  compare  an  elegant  and  exquisitely  finished 
vase  with  Niagara  Suspension  Bridge  ;  or  this  Japanese  who 
by  means  of  a  fan  could  cause  a  paper  butterfly  to  advance, 
retreat,  sip  at  flowers,  and  flit  about  as  though  alive,  to 
a  Franklin  flying  his  kite  amid  the  fitful  lightning. 

If  the  best  definition  for  progress  is  a  locomotive,  the 
Japanese  were  surely  starting  on  that  road.  They  were  lay- 
ing a  track  for  the  Iron-Horse  to  connect  Yokohama  with 
Yeddo,  the  bay  being  too  shallow  for  the  gigantic  vessels  to 
ascend.  It  was  completed  in  the  beginning  of  October  1872. 
The  Mikado — who  for  centuries  had  been  regarded  as  divine, 
too  sacred  for  the  sun  to  shine  upon  his  head,  much  less  for 
mortals  to  gaze  upon — rode  down  on  the  cars,  and  appeared 
before  the  foreigners  and  the  vast  public  at  the  opening 
ceremonies  at  Yokohama.  It  was  a  new  era  for  Japan,  and 
vast  multitudes  thronged  the  ways  leading  to  the  city.  Some 
prostrated  themselves  with  their  faces  to  the  ground,  others 
half  bowed,  while  many  were  undecided  what  to  do.  They 
were  evidently  afraid  they  would  approach  too  near  Mt. 
Sinai  or  some  other  awful  presence,  and  the  gods  would 
thrust  them  through  and  through. 

But  the  Mikado  was  sensible ;  he  wanted  to  have  a  drive 
behind  the  locomotive,  and  see  folks ;  and  I  consider  him 
quite  excusable  in  his  desire.  The  roar  and  clatter  of  the 
mighty  engine  on  the  road  of  progress,  is  waking  up  those 
old  sleeping  monarchs  who  have  been  dreaming,  ever  dream- 
ing, of  their  own  divine  origin  and  absolute  right  to  rule 
this  lower  world. 

But  think  of  these  Japanese  who  had  never  dreamed  of 
the  railway  far  away  over  the  ocean  ;  to  whom  a  man  pulling 
another  on  two  wheels  seemed  a  strange  upstart.  To  them  it 
appeared  according  to  the  natural  order  of  things  that  they 
should  carry  travelers  swung  beneath  poles  from  Yokohama 
to  Yeddo ;  only  think  of  these  Jumping  into  houses  with 
Beats,  and  rolling  away  with  the  speed  of  lightning  toward 


A  STRANGE  UPSTART. 


139 


Yeddo.  Who  can  imagine  how  it  must  have  lifted  their 
souls  out  of  their  bodies,  and  transported  them  with  joy 
ineffable ! 

Does  anybody  know  how  they  endured  it  ? 


v    / 


MEW    JAPAN. 


CHAPTER  XIY. 
A  COUNTRY  BIDE  TO  YEDDO. 

CRACK !  went  the  driver's  whip  above  the  heads  of  four 
wicked  original  ponies,  and  we  were  ofi'  at  full  speed, 
with  our  tattooed  runner,  as  swift  as  he  was  spotted,  ahead 
of  us  to  clear  the  track,  while  the  natives  gazed  at  tlie 
carriage  as  if  trying  to  find  out  what  kind  of  a  creature  was 
passing  by  on  four  rolling  feet.  Soon  a  gathering  cloud 
discharged  a  torrent  of  water  which  flowed  down  the  streets 
and  poured  from  both  tiled  and  thatched  roofs ;  the  occupants 
of  the  open-front  houses,  with  their  friends  seeking  shelter 
therein,  who  were  reclining  on  the  matted  floors  watching  the 
rain,  gave  themselves  an  extra  stretch  as  we  went  by ;  and 
our  runner  who  had  taken  refuge  with  us  crouched  on  his 
feet  upon  one  of  the  seats. 

"  Look  there  Wildair,  that's  the  way  a  dog  sits  to  a  t-y." 

"You  mistake;  no  dog  doubles  his  hind  feet  backward 
under  him  after  that  kind  of  style." 

So  I  gave  it  up,  and  was  about  to  rank  him  with  tlie 
elephant  tribe,  but  discovered  a  serious  difliculty — he  had  a 
very  short  and  stubbed  nose.  Soon  the  sun  came  out  briglit 
as  ever,  and  he  resumed  his  advanced  position  on  the  road. 

We  were  now  coming  into  the  country,  yet  houses  lined 
either  side  of  the  way ;  every  half  mile  or  so,  an  opening 
between  them  showed  a  grassy  path  leading  into  a  grove  to 
a  wayside  shrine,  where  the  weary  traveler  is  supposed  to 
stretch  himself  upon  the  grass,  and  pray. 

Coming  out  into  an  open  space  where  a  cou.ple  of  rows  of 

140 


SAFE  MODE  OF  LULLABY.  141 

sliade  trees  took  the  place  of  houses,  around  us  was  a  broad 
phiin,  as  level  as  the  surface  of  a  lake,  covered  by  a  carpet  of 
rice  which  hid  the  irrigating  streams  of  water.  "We  seemed 
to  be  crossing  one  individual  farm,  although  there  were 
hundreds  of  distinct  cultivators.  Here  and  there  bowed  each 
husbandman  on  his  little  plot  of  ground,  carefully  pulling  out 
every  stray  blade  of  grass.  The  tenants  paid  their  feudal 
lords  half  an  average  crop ;  all  they  could  raise  above 
that  quantity  was  their  own.  No  wonder  each  farmer 
wanted  but  little  ground  so  that  he  might  cultivate  it  well, 
since  a  poor  crop  left  none  for  himself.  In  years  of  famine 
the  lords  of  the  soil  got  rich,  for  rice  was  high.  In  years  of 
plenty  the  tenants  made  nothing  but  a  living,  for  rice  was 
cheai\ 

Earthquakes  -were  so  frequent  in  Japan  that  it  was  said 
thev  needed  no  cradles  to  rock  their  children  in  ;  and  though 
we  could  see  the  contents  of  each  house  through  the  open 
sides,  we  saw  no  cradles  unless  the  houses  themselves  Mere 
intended  to  answer  that  purpose.  They  were  constructed  of 
four  beams  without  braces — just  the  thing  to  rock  and  never 
cease  rocking  from  the  end  of  one  earthquake  or  typhoon  to 
another.  This  was  a  convenient  and  safe  mode  of  lullaby 
for  young  and  old,  as  there  were  no  upper  stories  to  tumble 
down    and   disturb    the    sleeper's   rest. 

The  floors  are  all  covered  with  straw  matting,  and  an  eleva- 
ted portion  thereof  in  the  centre  forms  the  bed,  the  lounge, 
the  table,  the  chairs,  the  desk,  the  counter — in  short  the 
furniture  of  the  room.  Upon  it  sat  the  tailor  on  his  curled 
up  feet,  or  the  seamstress  inlying  her  needle,  or  the  spinstress 
turniug  her  busy  wheel,  or  the  damsel  playing  her  guitar 
for  the  pleasure  of  her  callers,  who  were  also  seated  in  this 
unmentionable  posture,  while  her  mother,  we  supposed,  was 
in  the  kitchen.  Upon  this  elevation  sat  the  lady  of  taste  and 
industrv,  painting  the  Japanese  fans  exported  so  extensively  ; 
and  it  was  as  often  occupied  by  indolent  jieople — the 
mechanic  Iving  on  his  back  with  his  head  on  his  wooden 
pillow  waiting  for  a  customer,  or  the  whole  of  a  half  nude 


142 


OBLIGING  DAMSELS. 


family  still  resting  their  heads  upon  their  -u-ooden  bloclcs  as 
if  they  intended  to  sleep  both  day  and  night. 

This  elevation  of  the  lloor  being  ctinsidered  as  tending  to 
degradation  and  as  a  promoter  of  laziness,  has  been  recently 
abolished  by  decree  of  the  emperor,  who  proposes  to  make 
his  people  sit  npon  chairs  and  quit  taking  it  so  easy. 

The  working  man  whom  we  saw  treading  down  one  end  of 
a  lever  tliat  the  other  end  might  fall  upon  the  unhulled  rice, 
at  evening  lay  down  upon  the  straw  and  enjoyed  a  good 
night's  sleep  with  but  few  cares  to  keep  him  awake.     In  a 


NATIVE    SWEETMEATS. 


few  years  he  will  have  a  modern  machine  to  thresh  his  grain 
with,  but  will  also  have  new  wants  to  be  supplied, — new 
anxieties  to  disturb  his  rest. 

While  changing  ponies  we  refreshed  ourselves  upon  the 
native  sweetmeats.  In  the  language  of  one  who  had  traveled 
this  way  before  us,  "  the  landlady  and  her  damsels  overbur- 


AMERICAN  INGRATITUDE. 


143 


dened  us  with  their  attentions,  placing  our  chairs  (for  the 
special  accommodation  of  foreigners)  in  the  most  convenient 
spot,  wiping  our  shoes,  placing  cushions  on  our  scats,  and 
anticipating  every  want."  Cakes,  soup,  rice,  and  sweetmeats 
were  brought  in  succession.  One  laughing  bright-eyed  damsel 
knelt  before  me  with  a  cup  of  tea  in  her  hand ;  another  in 
the  same  position  offered  sugar,  and  a  third,  from  her  lowly 
posture  on  the  ground,  held  to  my  lips  a  boiled  egg 
already  broken  and  peeled,  and  seasoned  with  salt.  "With 
garrulous  vivacity  they  anticipated  every  look,  and  vied 
in  their  endeavors  to  be  the  first  to  bring  us  their  native 
dainties.  When  our  wants  were  supplied  they  remained 
kneeling  close  to  our  sides. 

But  how  w'as  this  kindness  returned  ?     Let  my  own  eyes 
bear  testimony  to  what  they  saw.     Our  genteel  American 


rORIIGN    SACCE. 


companion  who  moved  in  the  highest  circles  at  home,  having 
repeatedly  insulted  the  ladies  who  brought  us  out  tea  at  every 
stopping  place,  now,  with  the  sneaking  crook  of  his  umbrella, 
tried  to  loop  up  the  dress  of  one  of  these  kind,  genteel, 
heathen  ladies,  who  politely  resisted  his  efforts.  We  felt 
indignant,  for  he  degraded  our  nation's  honor  in  the  sight  of 


144 


A  BATHING  PARTY. 


these  people,  and  insulted  every  American  citizen  who  loves 
the  fair  fame  of  his  country.  We  felt  isdignant,  for  he 
disgraced  our  sacred  Christianity  in  the  eyes  of  these  natives. 
Imagine  what  we  would  think  and  do  if  strangers,  coming 
among  us  and  professing  to  be  far  above  us  in  knowledge, 
civilization  and  Christianity,  conducted  themselves  in  like 
manner  toward  our  sisters !  But  if  the  Japanese  or  Chinese 
resist  by  force  the  brutal  conduct  of  the  Europeans  they  have 
to  suffer.  I  say  brutal,  because  we  frequently  saw  them  cufl'ed 
and  kicked  about  like  dogs. 

To  us  it  seemed  strange,  yet  natural  that  our  runner,  who 
had  forgotten  his  suit  and  left  it  at  home,  should  make  him- 
self agreeable  to  all  the  girls,  many  of  whom  were  pretty 
and  nicelj'^  dressed;  at  each  tea-house  they  remembered  him 
with  a  cup  of  their  beverage. 

As  we  approached  Yeddo,  we  were  naturally  on  the  look- 
out, supposing  it  lawful  to  inspect  everything  we  could  see; 
but  involuntarily  hid  our  eyes  in  our  hands  as  we  came 
upon  a   party  of  young  ladies  who  were  bathing  in  a  nice 


A    SMALL    WATER-PARTY. 


little  door-yard  in  the  shadow  of  the  house.     But  we  forgave 
them  ;  they  meant  no  harm,  and  ablution  is  part  of  their 


religion. 


o 


> 
> 


p-   i 


o 
o 
o 


IN  THE  GREAT  CITY.  147 

We  had  not  the  remotest  idea  wlien  we  came  within  the 
limits  of  Yeddo;  we  simply  knew  that  for  mile  after  mile 
the  street  became  more  thronged,  until  at  last  we  could 
confidently  say,  "  We  know  we  are  in  the  Great  City."  We 
imagined,  from  the  crowds  of  persons  of  every  age  and  sex, 
that  they  were  having  a  Fourth-of-July  on  a  grand  scale. 
They  may  not  have  been,  however,  for  we  could  discern  no 
loose  tongued  orator  upon  a  stand,  reciting  the  thrilling  deeds 
of  their  Washington.  They  only  appeared  to  be  enjoying 
themselves  in  a  social  way.  It  is  true  they  had  music  at 
every  corner ;  but  it  was  not  the  stirring  martial  tones  of 
brass  bands,  or  fifes,  or  drums,  nor  even  the  singing  of 
"Hail  Columbia"  by  a  choir  of  young  ladies  and  gentlemen. 
The  musicians  reminded  us  more  of  organ  grinders,  but  their 
instruments  were  contemptible  little  things  that  seemed 
squeaking  their  lives  away,  though  eked  out  into  an  endless 
string,  causing  misery  to  our  sympathetic  nerves. 

By  and  by  however  we  came  to  some  great  character.  We 
knew  he  was  such  by  the  thousand  gilded  ornaments  and 
trappings  which  dangled  about  him.  He  was  not  speaking 
that  we  could  hear,  and  had  only  been  dead  for  two  or  three 
thousand  years.  He  had  been  their  Washington,  or  Jeffer- 
son, or  some  one  else,  who  had  achieved  great  victories 
for  them  ;  but  he  was  a  god  now,  and  it  was  only  his  image 
which  they  were  bearing  aloft  upon  their  shoulders. 

Arrived  at  Yeddo,  we  "put  up"  at  a  European  hotel.  It 
was  a  large  building,  and  a  high  one,  wdiich  seemed  strange, 
as  the  Japanese  of  every  class  never  build  high  ones  for  their 
own  use.  We  finally  concluded  it  was  intended  originally  as 
a  trap  to  fall  upon  the  heads  of  foreigners  whose  passj^ort 
thither  had  been  their  gun  boats. 

The  dinner  hour  was  at  8  P.  M.,  and  the  other  meals  were 
correspondingly  late.  This  did  not  exactly  please  us,  as  we 
had  l)een  taught  at  home  to  imitate  the  birds  at  early  retiring 
and  rising  if  we  would  be  healthy,  wealthy,  and  wise.  But  at 
Yeddo,  doing  as  other  foreigners  did,  we  imitated  the  owls, 
and  "  late  to  bed  and  late  to  rise  "  was  our  motto  while  there. 


us 


THE  INNOCENT  FELLOW, 


The  table  waiters,  dressed  in  native  gowns,  were  abundant 
but  very  slow.  An  American  accustomed  to  traveling  by 
rail  could  have  swallowed  two  meals  between  dishes.  Such 
a  gentleman  evidently  sat  at  one  of  the  tables.  After  dis- 
posing of  the  first  course  with  amazing  speed,  he  looked 
around  and  found  that  the  others  had  only  fairly  begun. 
After  sitting  awhile  in  great  suspense  he  discovered,  to  his 
astonishment,  that  they  had  stopped  eating  while  yet  three- 
fourths  of  the  food  remained  upon  their  plates.  Though  he 
still  felt  very  hungry,  he  was  just  drawing  back  his  chair 
when  along  came  waiters  with  new  supplies.  lie  now 
M'atched  closely,  through  the  corners  of  his  eyes,  the  progress 
of  his  neighbors,  and  at  the  end  of  the  sixth  course  felt 
himself  to  be  master  of  the  situation.  Unluckily  he  now 
espied  some  near  him  pouring  fluids  of  various  colors  from 
bottles,  and,  feeling  thirsty,  he  reached  for  the  nearest  one 
and  helped  himself  to  a  glass  of  its  contents.  The  gentleman 
who  had  ordered  and  paid  extra  for  the  wine,  looked  some- 
what puzzled,  but  said  nothing  as  he  saw  that  the  innocent 

f  ello  w  was 
only  trying  to 
do  as  others 
did.  Finally 
a  bowl  of 
water  was  set 
before  him, 
and  as  he 
could  see  only 
one  use  to  put 
it  to  he  sent  a 
portion  of  it 
after  the  wine. 

That  unsophisticated  fellow  was  long  a  subject  for  conversation 
with  Wildair;  he  seemed  to  enjoy  it,  but  I  didn't. 

On  retirins:  for  the  nijjht  we  found  there  was  no  lock  on 
the  door  to  our  room  ;  so  "Wildair  set  the  washstand  against 
it  with  bowl  and  pitcher  thereupon.     About  the  peep  of  day 


DINNER    AT    TEDDO, 


WILD  AIR'S  ENCOUNTER  WITH  BURGLARS. 


149 


t;vo  or  three  of  the  numerous  Japanese  boot-Uaoking  ser- 
vants came  round  in  search  of  their  prey.  Into  ou  room 
they  plunged,  and  over  went  the  table  with  an  awful  crash. 
The  frightened  AVildair,  with  revolver  in  hand,  at  once 
bounded   out  of   bed,  and  not  discerning  the  mosquito-net 


A   BOOTLESS   VISIT. 


carried  it  with  him.  At  this  apparition  the  astonished 
servants  forgot  their  boots ;  and  the  accidental  discharge  of 
the  pistol  brought  Wildair  to  his  wits  and  a  crowd  to  the 
scene  of  action : 

""What's  the  matter?"  demanded  the  landlord. 

"  Burglars  !  Burglars ;  don't  you  see  how  they  burst  into 
our  room  ?  "  replied  the  crest-fallen  Wildair. 

"  I  see  this  smashed  jiitcher." 

"  Well,  that  was  them,  and  I  was  after — " 

"  Whose  boots  are  these  ?  " 

"Mine." 

"  Next  time  set  them  outside  the  door." 

""Well,  I  guess  I  will,"  scratching  his  head;  and  the 
landlord  walked  away. 


CHAPTER  XY. 
THEOUGH  THE  TEMPLES. 

WE  found  Yeddo  to  be  a  vast  city  of  almost  indefinite 
extent.  Now  we  wandered  where  thousands  compactly 
lived  and  moved  ;  then,  with  a  suddenness  that  was  surprising, 
we  seemed  lost  in  forests  dense  and  wild  where  no  sounds 
were  heard  save  the  screeching  of  owls,  the  cawing  of  crows, 
or  some  otlier  doleful  solitary  cries.  In  one  of  these  places 
we  visited  the  imposing  tombs  of  the  Tycoon  Dynasty,  over- 
thrown a  few  years  since  after  a  rule  of  more  than  three 
hundred  3'ears. 

While  the  wild  birds  in  their  lonely  hours  were  cawing 
their  solemn  dirges  in  this  dreary  retreat,  we  went  from  tomb 
to  tomb  and  from  temple  to  temple,  each  surrounded  by 
mossy  walls  running  through  undergrowth  so  dense  the  eye 
could  not  penetrate  its  shades.  The  priests  opened  the 
massive  sates  beneath  loftv  arches,  and  as  we  entered  these 
secluded  regions  they  bowed  their  shaved  heads  to  us,  then 
conducted  us  across  the  paved  courts  to  the  doors  of  the 
temples,  where  they  pulled  off  their  shoes  or  sandals  and 
motioned  for  us  to  do  likewise.  The  altars  were  tastily 
and  pompously  ornamented,  and  every  part  thereof  could  be 
traced  into  the  graceful  shape  of  some  animal  or  plant,  while 
the  whole  shone  as  burnished  gold.  On  the  walls  of  one  of 
the  temples  were  frescoed  various  hinds  of  birds  in  life- 
colored  plumage ;  and  we  imagined  the  winged  tribes  Avere 
ardently  loved  by  the  Tycoon  there  buried.  In  another  were 
bows,  arrows,  hunting  implements  and  animals,  suggesting 

that  a  mighty  hunter  there  reposed. 

150 


THE  SOLEMN'  CEREMONY. 


151 


In  one  temple  the  priest  with  great  solemnity,  conducted 
ns  up  spacious  steps  sliining  as  a  looking-glass.  As  he 
approaclied  the  altar  we  knew  from  his  step  he  was  nearing 
some  sacred  presence.  Soon  we  discovered  the  august 
object.  It  was  a  monstrous  bronze  turtle  upon  whose  back 
stood  a  gilded  bird,  with  legs  as  long  as  those  of  the  cranes 
I  used  to  shoot  for  eating  the  corn  and  leaving  us  the  cobs. 


BEFORE    THE    HIGH    AND    MIGHTY. 


"Wildair  had  once  in  his  life,  when  in  swimming,  been  bitten 
by  an  uncouth  turtle  so  that  he  was  no  friend  of  that  animal. 
Just  then  the  sober  priest  with  great  veneration  and  solemn 
dignity  prostrated  his  sacred  person  before  the  crane  and  turtle, 
kissed  the  floor,  and  motioned  for  us  to  join  in  the  devotion  ; 
as  we  failed  to  do  so  and  showed  unmistakable  signs  of  mer- 
riment the  priest  doubtless  thought  our  veneration  had  been 
sadly  neglected ;  while  we  thought  the  crane  might  have 
traveled  faster  without  riding. 

Down  the  capacious  avenue  shaded  by  rows  of  majestic 


152  THE  DESERTED  PALACE, 

trees,  used  to  come  the  solemn  royal  procession  to  this 
imperial  cemetery,  from  the  now  deserted  Tycoon's  palace. 
The  walled  terraces  and  broad  moats  of  that  palace  still  testify 
to  the  security  of  its  position  in  former  days  when  it  was 
defended  by  swords ;  but  it  could  make  but  trifling  resistance 
to  cannon,  or  even  to  the  American  rifles  which  we  saw  in 
the  hands  of  the  Japanese  soldiers  drilling  in  the  palace 
grounds.  Near  by  were  the  capacious  grounds  and  palaces  of 
the  provincial  princes,  who  were  formerly  required  to  live  in 
the  capital  much  of  the  time  as  hostages  for  the  good  behavior 
of  their  provinces.  It  was  their  traveling  to  and  from  the 
capital  with  vast  retinues  of  retainers,  that  for  centuries 
made  it  such  a  great  centre  and  the  Yokaido  along  which  we 
rode  to  Yeddo  such  an  important  thoroughfare.  Their  two- 
sworded  retainers  were  still  around  the  half  deserted  palaces 
of  their  lords,  looking  with  suspicion  upon  foreigners  and 
on  the  soldiers  drilling  with  rifles. 

But  there  was  one  thing  I  loved  in  the  Japanese,  and  that 
was  their  ardent  admiration  of  nature — it  arose  to  a  passion. 
They  possessed  what  I  deem  the  prettiest  country  in  the 
world,  embracing  from  four  to  six  thousand  islands  standing 
out  of  the  ocean  in  moss  covered  rocks  and  snow-capped 
mountains,  hiding  an  infinite  number  of  woodland  glens  and 
dales  decked  in  foliage  of  surpassing  beauty.  No  wonder 
thev  seldom  emigrate.  But  not  satisfied  Avith  this  affluence 
of  beauty  they  helped  nature  into  new  forms.  In  dwarfing 
they  excelled  all  other  nations.  We  saw  vases  containing 
various  kinds  of  trees  which  appeared  to  be  as  old  as  any  in 
the  woods,  yet  not  so  lofty  as  Tom  Thumb.  Ha,  ha.  Giant 
Tom  with  head  above  the  forest  trees !  "  The  Big  Trees"  of 
California  were  yet  in  our  minds,  as  we  contemplated  a 
bamboo,  a  fir,  and  a  blooming  plum  tree,  all  growing  in  a 
box  one  might  carry  in  the  upper  story  of  his  liat.  As  a 
contrast  the  growth  of  others  was  so  stimulated  that  their 
branches  extended  to  a  great  distance  supported  upon  props, 
while  strangely  worn  stones  and  pebbles  were  piled  in  such 
positions  as  to  present  in  appearance  the  bottom  and  moss- 


I 


A  NEW  INVENTION. 


155 


covered  banks  of  streams,  as  if  nature  had  been  at  work 
destroying  and  restoring  for  ages. 

It  seemed  strange  to  see  these  human  beings  who  were 
competent  to  teach  us  many  things,  taking  the  place  of  horses 
between  the  shafts.  As  I  saw  their  manly  forms  as  they 
drew  us  along,  and  witnessed  their  noble  exertions,  1  looked 
back  at  "VVildair  and  wept.  I  thought  they  were  our  brothers, 
the  work  of  whose  hands  we  admired  but  could  not  equal ; 
our  brothers,  whose  hearts  knew  the  warmest  and  sincerest 
friendship.  As  they  warmed  up  with  the  exercise,  they 
dropped  their  thin  gowns  lower  and  lower  down,  and  finally 
removed  them  entirely.  My  steed  was  not  as  large  as  Wil- 
dair's ;  yet  with  commendable  pride  he  was  bound  not  to  be 
outdone  in  speed  or  endurance,  and  the  latter  was  something 


THE    LATEST    INNOVATION. 


wonderful.  The  two-wheeled  cart  was  of  new  invention,  a 
grand  step  on  the  road  of  progress.  Frequently  we  whizzed 
by  those  still  riding  in  the  old  slow  style  in  a  cramped 
position  swung  beneath  a  pole  borne  on  the  shoulders  of  two 
coolies,  who  carried  props  in  their  hands  to  hold  up  the  pole 
when  they  rested. 

When  we  told  our  horses  (for  we  did  not  guide  them  with 
reins)  to  take  us  to  Asaksa  Kanou,  they  first  ran  home  to 
procure  a  few  small  coins  to  throw  upon  the  altar,  for  they 
10 


156 


UXnOXORED  AND  UXKXOWX. 


did  not  feel  like  worshiping  without  a  sacrifice.  "We  found 
this  to  be  the  principal  temple  of  Yeddo,  but  no  aristocratic 
churcli  where  pews  are  sold.  Here  rich  and  poor  alike  might 
worship.  Under  its  vast  outer  and  inner  arches  ever  came 
and  went  the  thronging  multitudes,  among  whom  were 
pilgrims  from  the  remotest  parts  of  Japan.  As  they 
approached  the  altar  they  threw  their  oiFerings  toward  the 
altar,  and  as  the  coins  went  jingling  down  from  apartment 
to  apartment,  they  fell  upon  their  knees,  folded  their  arms, 
and  muttered  their  short  prayers.  Sometimes  half  a  dozen 
were  bowed  at  once.  It  was  easy  to  tell  by  their  countenances 
those  who  were  in  earnest.  Some  bowed  and  said  tlieir 
prayers  in  a  hurried  ceremonial  way.  I  noticed  one  poor 
lame  woman  who  seemed  to  have  traveled  a  long  distance, 

coming  across  the  broad 
pavement  in  front  of  the 
temple.  She  rested  twice 
upon  her  stair',  and  there 
was  a  tired  but  earnest 
expression  on  lier  ilxce. 
Perhaps  she  had  been 
praying  or  struggling  long 
at  home,  and  had  come 
here  to  unburden  her  soul. 
As  she  approached  slie 
dropped  in  three  little 
coins,  doubtless  all  she 
had,  and  clapped  lier 
liands  as  she  fell  upon  her 
knees,  and  turning  h  e  r 
eyes  toward  heaven  she 
worked  her  lips  as  if 
whispering  her  sorrows 
into  the  ear  of  Ilim  who 
lieareth  every  inward  moan.  She  continued  long  with 
clinched  hands  as  though  unwilling  to  leave,  and  then  went 
her  way  unhonorcd  and  unknown  until  the  Great  Day  when 


TUK     WIDOW  S    MITE. 


GOD  OF  THE  SMOKERS.  I57 

many  whom  the  Master  knows  will  come  from  the  East  and 
the  West  and  sit  down  in  the  Kinf^dom. 

"Within  the  capacious  altar  sat  shaven-crowned  •  prie?ts 
vowed  to  celibacy,  chanting  in  an  unknown  tongue  their 
ritual  of  worship,  which  was  answered  by  others.  In  their 
monasterial  cells  some  sat  muttering  their  formal  prayers, 
one  for  each  bead  in  their  rosary.  Here  was  one  distributing 
prayers  on  pieces  of  paper,  which  possessed  great  merit 
because  they  had  come  through  the  hands  of  persons  devoted 
to  religion.  Some  of  these  prayers  were  for  souls  in  an 
intermediate  state.  Occasionally  the  priests  marched  in 
procession  to  tinkling  bells,  or  moved  in  their  loni;  gowns 
about  the  distant  altars  among  the  smoking  incense  sticks,  or 
adjusted  the  candles  so  as  to  reflect  the  glitter  of  the  images. 

Outside  the  enclosure  of  the  altar  were  pictures  of  ghastly 
figures — writhing  men,  and  tormenting  spirits,  which  seemed 
intended  to  frighten  visitors  to  implore  the  gods  of  mere}'. 
The  sinner,  as  he  approached  the  altar,  appeased  the  wrath  of 
the  gods  by  burning  incense.  Each  one  passing  dropped  a 
little  coin,  picked  up  a  pinch  of  some  kind  of  herb  looking 
like  tobacco,  and  dropped  it  down  the  mouth  of  a  horrible 
image,  and  in  the  smoke  which  rolled  out  of  his  mouth  and 
nostrils  the  evil  spirits  of  the  worshiper  ascended.  I  took  it 
to  represent  the  devil ;  but  "Wildair  called  it  the  Smoking 
God,  or  the  God  of  the  Smokers,  and  naturallv  enoujrh  he 
was  one  of  the  most  popular  gods  there.  I  should  not 
wonder  if  many  worshiped  him  as  such,  for  religion  was 
awfully  mixed.     Everybod}^  had  a  god  to  suit  Lis  own  fanc3\ 

But  there  was  another  image  whose  name  or  attributes 
could  not  be  mistaken  even  by  strangers.  It  was  the  Goddess 
of  Mercy.  She  had  no  marks  of  distinction,  no  glitter  of 
gold  or  pearls ;  but  in  places  the  image  was  much  worn  by 
the  simple  contact  of  hands  that  were  afterwards  laid  on  cor- 
responding portions  of  their  own  bodies,  or  the  bodies  of 
children.  Whether  any  limbs  were  made  whole  thereby  or 
any  diseases  cured  I  cannot  say,  for  her  work  was  silent ; 
all  I  know  is  that  crowds  came  with  apparently  as  much  faith 


158 


GODDESS  OF  MERCY. 


in  her  ability  to  relieve  them,  as  those  had  who  in  earlier 
times  strove  to  touch  the  hem  of  Christ's  garment.  They 
called  her  the  "  Queen  of  Heaven,"  the  same  appellation  as 
is  applied  to  the  "  "Virgin  Mary." 

Three  centuries  ago  Japan  was  almost  a  Christian  nation, 


TOUCH    AND    BE    HEALED. 


so  forcibly  did  the  wonderful  story  of  the  cross  impress  them. 
St.  Francis  Xavier,  the  great  apostle  of  the  Indies,  was  the 
first  missionary  to  Japan.  His  spirit  had  caught  the  apostolic 
fire,  and  he  hastened  thither  with  the  first  merchant  vessels. 
The  Japanese  have  a  warm,  passionate  nature,  and  could  this 
missionary  have  stood  on  their  mountains,  and  sounded  out 
the  glad  and  stirring  news  with  an  untiring  tongue,  they 
would  have  experienced  a  Pentecost  on  a  grand  scale — a 
nation  would  have  been  born  in  a  dav.  He  soon  died  from 
self-exertions  and  hardships,  but  still  the  glad  tidings  spread, 
and  multitudes  were  converted  and  baptized — twelve  thous- 
and in  two  years.  But  soon  the  tide  turned  ;  they  saw  enough 
of  foreigners  to  note  many  shortcomings  and  rascalities,  and 


JAPANESE  EXILES.  I59 

naturally  wondered  that  Christianity  as  preached  to  them  did 
not  bring  forth  better  fruits.  The  vessels  which  visited 
Japan  went  armed,  and  not  unfrequently  some  turned  pirates. 
No  wonder  such  actions  changed  the  feelings  of  the  natives 
from  love  to  hatred.  About  this  time  the  Great  Tycoon 
asked  a  Spaniard : — 

"  How  is  it  that  your  king  has  managed  to  possess  himself 
of   half  the  world  ? "     The   unwise  but  true  reply  was : — 

"He  sends  priests  to  win  the  people;  his  trocpi  are  then 
sent  to  join  the  native  Christians,  and  the  conquest  is  easy." 

The  result  was  an  edict  banishing  the  priests.  Twenty- 
three  were  put  to  death  in  a  single  day  at  Nagasaki.  But 
the  government  had  a  Herculean  task.  Although  the  native 
Christians  were  butchered  and  massacred  year  after  year,  and 
foreigners  excluded,  yet  there  are  thousands  of  them  still  left. 
About  the  time  we  were  there  nearly  a  thousand  men,  the 
heads  of  families,  were  exiled  from  the  sight  of  the  world 
to  work  in  mines  and  dismal  pits. 

Many  people  speak  of  all  heathen  profession  in  a  light 
manner,  but  it  either  arises  from  ignorance  or  arrogance. 
Some  missionaries  go  to  them  with  the  idea  that  all  their 
doctrines,  beliefs,  and  faiths,  must  be  overturned  ;  but  nothing 
can  be  more  erroneous.  "What  is  good  in  them — has  that  to 
be  overthrown  ?  By  attempting  such  a  course  their  indigna- 
tion is  naturally  forever  aroused,  for  many  of  the  doctrines 
of  their  philosophers  and  religious  teachers  would  hardly 
disgrace  the  most  sublime  and  sacred  pages  of  the  Bible. 


CHAPTER  XYL 
SOCIAL  PROGKESS  IN  JAPAN. 

AMONG  our  friends  in  Yeddo  were  a  young  married 
couple  with  whom  we  had  become  intimate  during  our 
Pacific  voyage.  The  bridegroom  had  resided  in  Japan  before, 
and  becoming  weary  of  a  bacliclor's  life  had  returned  to 
America  for  the  girl  he  left  behind  him.  Certainly,  he  had 
no  cause  to  regret  doing  so.  It  seemed  strange  to  us  that  so 
many  Europeans  should  here  pass  away  their  lives  as  lonely 
bachelors,  or  purchase  native  wives,  when  lovely  creatures  of 
their  own  race  can  be  obtained  so  easily.  The  bride's  modest 
cheeks  were  just  becoming  accustomed  to  native  scenes. 
"What  a  contrast  between  her  and  the  fat  water-carrier  of  the 
hotel  whose  chief  garment  was  an  old  European  vest  which 
he  wore  more  for  ornament  than  use,  and  of  which  he  seemed 
very  proud. 

About  the  time  the  Pilgrim  Fathers  landed  their  little 
bark  on  the  savage  New  England  shore,  Japan  drew  herself 
into  her  shell  to  enjoy  alone  her  superior  civilization  and 
refinement  handed  down  from  the  dreamy  past.  Years  slowly 
numbered  into  centuries  during  which,  to  Japan,  the  outside 
world  seemed  like  a  dream  fast  fading.  But  one  bright 
afternoon,  up  Yeddo  Bay  came  the  Stars  and  Stripes 
floating  above  a  squadron  of  screeching  gun-boats.  As  the 
boom  of  the  saluting  cannon  shook  the  surrounding  moun- 
tains, it  sent  a  thiill  of  mingled  amazement  and  horror  through 
the  country  and  awakened  the  emjieror  in  his  seclusion. 
Startled,  he  learned  that  an  embassy  had  arrived  from  some 

IGO 


COMMODORE  PERRY'S  VISIT. 


161 


nation  that  had  sprunp;  up  like  a  inusliroom  in  an  unknown 
quarter  of  the  world.  lie  turned  to  the  history  of  his  country 
and  read  how  the  Portuguese,  three  centuries  before,  had 
come  to  these  shores  and  sold  foreign  articles  at  enormous 


GETTING    USED    TO    IT. 


prices;  bought  up  their  vast  treasures  of  gold  with  silver; 
secretly  conspired  against  their  government ;  and  how  the 
Japanese  finally  drove  the  invaders  away  witli  sharp  steel. 

He  now  asked : — "  "Who  are  these  American  foreigners 
demanding  intercourse? — and  was  about  to  say,  "No,  no! 
get  away;  let  us  alone;"  but  as  he  turned  his  eyes  toward 
the  stranger  fleet,  each  vessel  he  saw  seemed  to  wear  a  frown- 
ing aspect,  and  thereupon  he  reluctantly  said,  "  Yes."  But 
no  sooner  were  they  gone  than  .the  English  fleet  came  and 
made  similar  demands;  then  the  French,  the  German,  the 
Ilussian  ;  and  before  he  had  time  to  consider,  the  United 
States  were  renewing  their  demands  for  trade  and  intercourse. 

Less  than  twenty  years  have  elapsed  since  our  fii'st  treaty 


162 


WILDAIR'S  EXTERTAIXMEXT. 


with  the  Japanese  was  effected  by  Commodore  Perry,  yet  no 
other  people  on  the  globe  are  to-day  more  eager  to  introduce 
our  modern  improvements  than  they.  Fire  arms  are  particu- 
larly interesting  to  them  and  many  thousands  have  already  been 
imported.  Foreigners  have  been  hired  to  teach  them  military 
drill,  for  which  they  show  a  decided  taste;  and  evenWildair 


■WILDAIRS    WARRIORS. 


was  one  day  importuned  to  act  in  that  capacit}',  and  evoked  the 
applause  of  an  admiring  crowd  by  the  masterly  way  in  which 
he  handled  his  file  of  incipient  warriors. 

After  the  drill  was  concluded,  Wildair  entertained  a  crowd 
who  had  gathered  around  us,  by  showing  them  pictures  of 
Japanese  in  a  guide-book  we  had  brought  with  ns.  They 
looked  at  each  other  and  laughed  ;  then  at  the  pictures 
again,  and  manifested  much  delight  at  the  thought  that  they 
had  a  place  in  American  books  and  literature.  "We  then 
showed  them  a  map  of  the  world  and  pointed  out  the  relative 
position  of  the  United  States  and  Japan,  and  thereby  greatly 
enlarged  their  ideas  of  geography. 

Although  this  is  an  age  of  startling  events,  yet  such  prog- 
ress in  civilization  as  the  Japanese  are  making  had  never 
been  dreamed  of.     Their  school  system  has  been  adopted  after 


PROGRESS  OF  CIVILIZATION. 


1C3 


the  most  careful  examination  of  our  educational  system  and 
that  of  other  nations,  and  covers  every  f^rade  from  the  college 
to  the  common  school,  being  expressly  intended  to  beneiit 
every  child,  rich  or  poor,  male  and  female.     The  press,  yet 


WILDAIR   AS    A    GEOGRAPHER. 


in  its  infancy,  has  begun  its  \rork  of  scattering  the  news  of 
the  empire  and  of  the  world  to  the  masse?,  who  can  generally 
read.  The  liberty  of  the  press  is  now  a  reality,  and  already 
public  sentiment  is  being  formed  which  will  soon  prepare  the 
people  for  voting,  at  which  time  they  are  to  have  a  voice  in 
the  government.  Railroad  lines,  telegraph  wires,  and  mail 
routes  are  being  established  throughout  the  country.  How 
wonderful  the  Providence  that  has  possessed  the  minds  of  the 
feudal  princes  with  such  a  love  of  our  institutions  as  to  cause 
them  to  lay  down  their  regal  powers,  untold  wealth,  and 
separate  armies,  through  pure  love  for  their  country,  abdicate 
the  birthright  of  twenty  centuries,  to  make  themselves  citizens 
bv  the  side  of  their  serfs  who  had  never  known  or  dreamed 
of  anv  thins;  but  service  !  AVhen  we  were  there  many  of  the 
princes  yet  retained  their  territories  nominally,  and  their  two- 
sworded  soldiers,  but  shortly  after  these  were  all  nobly  sur- 
rendered.    "We  saw  many  soldiers  or  retainers  still  wearing 


1G4 


DOWNFALL  OF  THE  ARISTOCEACY. 


their  two  swords  wanderin;^  about  idly,  hardlj  knowing  what 
to  do  now  that  their  masters  and  support  were  gone.  They 
were  born  soldiers  and  knew  nothing  else.  It  was  curious  to 
see  many  of  the  little  boys  of  this  class  still  wearing  their 
diminutive  swords ;  but  the  little  fellows  would  soon  have  to 
throw  them  aside  and  earn  their  own  living.  We  saw  on 
one  occasion  a  party  of  boys  of  this  rank  playing  "blind 


SOCIAL    EQUALITY    ILLLSTKATLD. 


man's  buff,"  and  were  glad  to  notice  that  two  boys  of  a  lower 
grade — one  with  only  one  sword  and  the  other  with  none  at 
all— had  ventured  to  join  them;  for  it  foretold  the  downfall 
of  the  military  aristocracy.  The  two  swords  that  have  been 
in  families  for  hundreds  of  years  are  being  thrown  aside  ; 
even  the  regular  soldiers,  policemen,  and  government  officials, 
carry  our  arms  and  wear  French  uniforms. 

To  see  how  fully  aristocracy  and  castes  have  been  swept 
away,  I  need  only  to  state  that  the  Mikado,  who  from  the  time 
of  the  gods  has  lived  in  divine  soclusion,  never  eating  twice 
from  the  same  dish,  and  never  leaving  his  seclusion  excepting 
in  a  closely  curtained  cart  drawn  by  snow-white  bullocks,  has 
lately  visited  the  despised  tanners  who  were  below  ail  castes, 
and  revoked  the  stigma.  More,  he  has  even  received  Euro- 
pean ladies  and  taken  them  by  the  hand. 

The  government  has  recently  ordered  the  adoption  of  our 


A  NEW  HOLIDAY. 


165 


Christian  Sabbath  as  a  day  of  rest  to  take  the  place  of  irreg- 
ular holidays;  instead  of  twelve  hours  the  day  is  to  have 
twenty-four ;  our  months  take  the  place  of  the  Chinese 
hobgoblin  lunar  months ;  the  year  is  to  begin  with  the  Urst 
day  of  January,  and  Christnuis  is  to  be  observed  as  a  holiday 
in  memory  of  their  first  emperor,  whom  they  hold  as  divine. 


OLD  JAPAN. 


CHAPTER  XVIT. 
FEOM  JAPAN  TO  CHINA. 

IT  was  soutb-westerly  along  the  coast  of  Japan  that  we  two 
pilgrims  were  sailing.  To  us,  there  was  something  attract 
ive  in  the  white-sailed  fishing  junks  of  these  good  natiired 
rascals  of  the  island,  as  they  floated  among  the  high  rocky- 
promontories  of  the  coast ;  in  the  mountains  cultivated  in 
terraces  almost  to  the  summit  of  the  highest  peaks,  and  in  the 
whole  country,  mountains  and  valleys,  so  beautifully  green. 
Occasionally  we  met  a  ship,  or  beheld  one  in  the  distance, 
whose  full,  white  sails  looked  as  robes  dropped  from  heaven 
upon  the  waters,  but  were  only  wafting  cargoes  of  tea,  for 
American  speculators.  As  we  passed  a  fortification  several 
miles  away,  the  Japanese  flag  was  seen  ascending  and  descend- 
ing a  pole,  while  the  American  flag  at  the  stern  of  our  vessel 
gracefully  glided  up  and  down  its  standard,  and  thus  the  two 
governments  which  they  represented  saluted  each  other. 

One  afternoon,  when  wo  were  near  the  southern  part  of 
Japan,  we  passed  a  strait,  then  another  one,  where  the  land 
divided,  and  the  channels  of  the  water  wound  around  the 
bases  of  mountains.  Towards  sunset  and  till  night  began  to 
throw  her  shady  mantle  about  us,  the  scene  was  almost  enchant- 
ing. "We  were  sailing  between  the  mainland  of  the  island  on 
our  right,  and  a  number  of  small  islands  at  our  left,  sometimes 
shut  in  between  high  walls,  and  again  obtaining  views  of 
the  volcanic  islands  to  the  south  as  they  rose  one  after  another 
far  as  the  eye  could  reach  like  peaks  and  light-houses  from 
the  bosom  of  the  ocean.     Around  the  summit  of  one  close  bv, 

1G6 


FATE  OF  THE  PIRATES. 


107 


the  smoke  was  lioveriiig  densely,  while  occasionally  a  blaze 
shot  up,  scattering  its  rays  over  the  heads  of  other  volcanic 
peaks,  ■which  now  lay  slumbering  in  the  broad  ocean  till 
again  aroused  by  the  iiery  elements  beneath. 

The  dark  bases  of  these  peaks  seemed  a  fitting  abode  for 
malignant  beings ;  and  it  is  here  that  pirates  hold  their 
nightly  carnivals.     They  watch  for  their  prey  as  the  hyena 


TUE    PIRATES     DOOM. 


for  the  wounded  deer,  and  attack  every  vessel  which  is  wrecked 
or  becalmed  within  their  reach. 

We  were  told  that  a  sailing  vessel,  delayed  by  a  calm  not 
long  previous,  was  stealthily  approached  by  these  pirates,  who 
threw  a  burning  substance  upon  the  vessel,  the  smoke  of 
which  choked  and  stupefied  the  crew.  Then  the  pirates 
boarded  the  vessel,  killed  all  within,  and  carried  off  the  cargo. 
A  man-of-war  hearing  the  news,  sailed  for  the  place,  having 
first  taken  in  her  guns  and  painted  her  ports  to  indicate  that 
she  was  a  merchant  vessel.  Upon  arriving  she  raised  a 
signal  of  distress,  and  all  parties  went  below.     Soon  the  pirates 


1C8  CHINESE  FISHERMEN'. 

cautiously  approached.  "When  close  by,  the  crew  ran  on  deck 
and  opened  fire  upon  the  surprised  wretches,  killed  6everal,and 
captured  the  rest,  nearly  all  of  whom  were  afterwards  hung. 

As  the  eastern  coast  of  Asia  is  frequently  visited  by  typhoons 
at  the  time  of  year  we  were  sailing  over  its  waters,  the  passen- 
gers were  frightened  at  every  change  of  the  weather.  Only  a 
few  days  before,  one  of  these  terrible  storms  had  visited  the 
shores  near  Nagasaki,  wrecking  several  vessels,  and  landing 
one  or  two  high  upon  the  beach.  When  a  vessel  is  caught  in 
the  centre  of  one  of  these  hurricanes  its  destruction  is  almost 
inevitable.  The  storms  are  occasioned  by  the  change  of  the 
monsoons,  which  blow  six  months  from  one  direction,  then  six 
months  from  the  opposite.  At  the  time  of  year  this  change 
takes  place,  there  is  a  shifting  of  the  winds,  which  sometimes 
blow  from  different  directions  towards  one  centre,  soon  begin- 
ning the  whirl  that  terminates  in  the  typhoon,  the  dread  of  the 
mariner. 

As  we  n  eared  the  coast  of  China  we  passed  thousands  of 
small  fishing  crafts  with  their  little  sails.  The  inmates  were 
naked  like  so  many  barbarians,  yet  they  all  retained  their 
braided  queues.  As  they  shifted  their  sails  to  get  out  of  our 
way,  they  looked  up  in  surprise,  and  I  fancied  with  awe.  The 
Chinese  returning  home  on  our  vessel  were  now  allowed  to 
come  on  the  hurricane  deck  to  look  at  the  fishermen,  and 
behold  again  the  shores  of  their  native  land.  Seemingly  they 
were  much  delighted  as  they  gazed  around,  yet  might  they  as 
well  have  hunted  for  a  lost  pebble  upon  the  sea-shore  as  looked 
for  an  acquaintance  among  these  thousands  who  to  us  appeared 
as  near  alike  as  so  many  peas.  Toward  evening  there  were 
indicationsof  a  typhoon,  and  a  hurrying  shoreward  of  the  fish- 
ermen, near  and  far.  IIow  their  sails  bent  before  the  wind,  and 
their  small  boats  keeled  far  over  on  their  sides  as  they  mounted 
the  waves,  and  again  disappeared  in  the  hollows  of  the  sea. 
But  the  expected  typhoon  did  not  come  off,  much  to  our  disap- 
pointment. 

One  morning  as  the  sun  arose  from  the  bosom  of  the  Pacific, 
we  were  entering  a  channel  between  the  British  island  of 


WE  TATROXIZE  THE  FAIR  SEX.  169 

Ilong  Kong  and  Oriental  China,  with  rock-ribbed  hills  stand- 
ing hi<;h  up  on  either  hand.  Soon  the  city  of  Ilong  Kong 
appeared  in  view,  its  streets  rising  conspicuously  one  above  the 
other  on  the  mountain  side.  The  signal  gun  was  lired,  and  we 
were  soon  dropping  anchor  in  the  middle  of  the  channel 
among  vessels  whose  flags  represented  many  nationalities, 
while  hundred  of  sampans,  small  boats  ten  or  twelve  feet 
long  by  three  or  four  in  width,  in  which  whole  families  passed 
their  whole  existence,  were  paddling  here  and  there  through 
the  water,  and  swarming  about  our  vessel.  Their  inmates 
looked  anxiously  up  at  us,  making  signs,  and  jabbering  in 
broken  China,  to  impress  it  upon  us  that  we  ought  to  go  ashore, 
and  that  they  wanted  to  do  the  job  for  ns.  So  we  accepted  the 
solicitations  of  a  couple  of  sprightly  looking  girls  who  had  an 
oldish  looking  mother  and  three  or  four  small  brothers  and 
sisters  to  support.  They  took  hold  of  our  arms,  helped  us 
into  their  sampan,  showed  us  to  the  best  seat,  and  ]iaddled 
us  ashore.  IIow  they  paddled,  and  how  the  mother  and 
children  smiled — for  they  expected  something  with  which  to 
buy  a  dinner.  AVe  had  been  told  the  customary  price  by  the 
officers  of  our  vessel,  and  paid  them  about  twice  that  amount, 
but  still  they  wanted  more.  So  we  gave  them  a  little  moi-e; 
yet  they  were  not  satisfied,  and  followed  us  ashore.  AVe 
desired  to  be  liberal,  especially  toward  girls — but  it  would 
not  do ;  w-e  must  blu£E  them  off,  else  they  would  follow  us  all 
day. 

However,  in  a  moment  after  we  reached  the  shore  tliat 
was  done  most  effectually  by  other  parties.  The  males,  with 
chairs  to  carry  us  to  the  hotel,  swarmed  around  like  bees, 
pushing  and  scramblirig;  the  girls  were  crowded  l)ack  to  their 
boat,  while  we  would  have  prayed,  had  it  been  of  any  use,  to 
have  been  again  cared  for  by  them,  instead  of  this  rabble  that 
wanted  to  shove  us  into  a  hundred  different  chairs  at  once. 
Luckily  we  succeeded  at  last  in  getting  into  only  two  of  them, 
and  were  carried  a  short  distance  up  a  crowded  street  to  the 
hotel. 


CHAPTER  XYIII. 
ADYENTUEES  m  HONG  KONG. 

WERE  I  a  Chinaman,  I  would  vote  to  keep  all  foreigners 
out  of  my  country  ;  for  they  must  be  a  constant  remind- 
er to  the  Chinese  that  they  were  somehow  neglected  when 
their  turn  came  to  be  created.  Perhaps  some  journeymen  had 
the  job  when  all  the  best  talent  was  on  a  strike ;  this  is  the 
only  way  I  can  account  for  the  existence  on  this  earth  of 
some  450,000,000  moral  vacuums,  at  least  90  per  cent  of 
whom  are  striving  in  their  own  benighted  way,  to  determine 
how  small  an  amount  of  nutritious  aliment  is  necessary  to 
support  a  given  bulk  of  animated  matter.  Not  unfrequently 
they  shave  the  thing  a  little  too  close;  then  the  solids  give 
way,  and  a  "  Celestial "  fungus  is  erased.  They  began  4,000 
years  ago  to  speculate  about  what  reason  there  was  for  tlieir 
existence,  and  what  was  to  become  of  them  wlien  they  ceased 
to  be  an  incumbrance  to  this  earth  ;  and  their  foremost  philos- 
ophers came  to  the  conclusion  that  they  were  mere  excres- 
cences on  this  mundane  sphere ;  they  sprang  up,  flourished, 
departed,  and  that  was  the  last  of  them.  And  it  is  to  be 
sincerely  hoped  they  were  correct  if  they  carry  into  the  next 
world  many  of  the  traits  of  character  they  liave  in  this. 

But  there  were  some  things  in  China  which  we  liked,  and 
among  them  were  rides  in  the  chairs.  Our  first  excursion 
by  that  mode  of  conveyance  was  to  the  Government  Gardens, 
and  it  was  one  of  the  most  memorable.  We  jumped  into  a 
couple  of  chairs  whose  owners  looked  sprightly,  to  contribute 
our  quota  of  polish  to  their  bamboo  contrivances,  some  of 

170 


AN  EXCURSION. 


173 


which  seemed  to  hare  survived  the  rack  of  centuries.  When 
we  desired  to  turn  to  the  right,  we  tapped  with  one  Land 
on  the  right  pole,  when  to  tlie  left,  on  the  left  pole,  and 
a  tap  on  both  poles  at  the  same  time  was  equivalent  to  saying 
"Whoa."  We  met  other  foreigners  in  chairs  talcing  it  as 
hizily  as  we,  as  they  were  carried  along  by  their  panting 
fellowmen,  some  smoking  or  reading  newspapers;  or  perhaps 
two  abreast— usually  a  lady  and  gentleman — were  talking  with 
each  other  as  they  traveled  along.  I  think  this  style  of  riding 
would  not  aiford  the  best  accommodations  for  a  couple  of 
lovers.  We  also  met  some  of  the  wealthier  class  of  the  Chinese 
who  rode  in  the  same  style.  In  fact  it  is  a  very  pleasant  way 
of  riding,  if  one  can  keep  it  out  of  mind  that  he  is  making  a 
horse  of  his  fellowman. 

As  the  day  was  warm  we  bought  a  couple  of  great  hats 
made  of  pith  and   covered  with  white  satin.     They  looked 


STARTING    UP    THK    LKADER. 


like  immense  white  turtle  shells,  and  were  so  arranged  by 
bands  and  braces  as  to  keep  them  from  touching  the  head ; 
the  air  circulated  beneath,  and  was  cooling  to  the  brain. 
With  these  generalissimo  hats  Caleb  looked  heroic,  and  I 
felt  just  as  he  looked,  and  proposed  that  we  should  have  a 
race.  To  increase  the  speed  of  my  team,  I  first  swung  my 
11 


174:  EXGLISH  CONVICTS. 

handkercliief  at  them,  which  produced  but  little  effect,  as 
they  did  not  know  exactly  what  it  meant  and  were  some- 
what frightetied.  I  now  shouted  at  them,  which  proved  too 
much  for  the  sensitive  ears  of  the  leader,  who  immediately 
dropped  his  end  of  the  shufts  and  ran  off.  This  change  in 
the  programme  I  had  not  anticipated  ;  Caleb  thought  I  might 
have  had  more  sense,  but  still  enjoyed  my  disaster.  A  few 
kind  words  from  him  brought  my  chairman  again  into  the 
traces,  and  at  a  fast  walk  we  proceeded  on. 

We  now  passed  among  tropical  trees  and  foliage,  along 
winding  roads  running  between  yards  whose  limits  were  well 
defined  by  cuttings  in  the  side  of  the  hill  walled  up  by  rock. 
Rising  above  these  walls,  yards  of  rolling  green  reached  on  to 
stately  mansions  owned  by  foreigners  of  wealth,  and  beyond 
these  were  the  Government  Gardens.  They  were  very  attrac- 
tive indeed  abounding  in  the  richest  flowers,  shrubbery,  trees 
and  paths  winding  among  shady  nooks. 

Just  outside  of  the  Gardens  we  espied  a  long  string  of 
English  convicts,  who  were  handcuffed,  and  watched  over 
while  at  work  on  the  road  by  Indiamen  and  men  from  other 
southern  climes,  almost  as  dark  as  Africans.  I  once  had  an 
idea  that  all  English  evil-doers  were  transported  to  Yan  Die- 
man's  Land  or  Australia,  but  like  many  other  of  my  juvenile 
fancies  it  has  been  dispelled.  Here  in  this  great  city  where 
labor  is  so  cheap  that  men  perform  the  work  of  oxen  on 
account  of  economy,  the  British  Government  finds  it  to  its 
interest  to  send  whole  gangs  of  these  convicts  to  work  the 
public  roads  and  build  stately  edifices  dedicated  mostly  to 
mammon, — for  what  could  induce  the  noble  Briton  to  forsake 
the  island  of  his  idolatry,  with  its  proverbial  "  roast  beef 
and  plenty,"  but  the  allurements  of  a  more  tangible  god? 
One  could  scarcely  believe  but  what  these  self -exiled  English 
were  the  upper  class  of  the  Chinese,  separated  alike  by 
their  wealth  and  inclination  from  the  common  herd.  Contact 
with  the  western  nations  has  in  turn  sunk  these  heathens, 
whose  sole  claim  to  enlightenment  seems  to  be  a  power 
of  imitating  every  vicious  habit,  and  ignoring  every  moral 


CHINESE  WASHERMEX. 


175 


principle,  into  depths  of  depravity,  of  which  in  their  seclusion 
they  never  would  have  dreamed. 

On  our  way  back  to  the  city  we  saw  an  army  of  washer- 
men standing  in  a  brook  and  beating  the  clothes  they  were 
washing  against  the  stones,  many  of  which,  from  continued 
use,  were  half  worn  away.  Frequentlj'  after  that,  not  only 
in  China,  but  also  in  India,  we  understood  full  well  how 
it  happened  that  our  shirts  buttons  came  home  in  halves, 
and  sometimes  not  at  alh 

« 

At  one  time  the  chairmen  were  carrying  ns  with  the  poles 


A    DOWN    (iRADK. 


on  their  shoulders,  as  was  more  customary  than  in  tlie  hands. 
Thought  I :  "  They  played  a  nice  trick  on  me  as  we  were 
coming  up,  but  now  I  have  them — they  can't  let  me  down, 
and  run  off."  Caleb  was  a  little  in  advance  of  me,  and  as  it 
was  a  down  grade  I  thought  it  would  be  a  good  time  to  overtake 
him.  So  I  again  swung  my  handkerchief,  shouted  ' '  Hip,  hip, 
hurrah,"  and  very  imprudently  kicked  at  the  leader.  The  con- 
sequent acceleration  of  his  speed  was  all  I  could  have  desired. 
"We  flew  rather  than  ran,  and  quickly  passed  our  companions. 
But  at  that  instant  my  lead  horse  stumbled,  and  went  sprawling 


176  OUR  CHAIRMAN'S  REVENGE. 

upon  the  ground — headforemost  I  tumbled  upon  him.  As  I 
struck,  smash  went  my '■^ generalissimo^^  hat ;  it  was  forever 
ruined.  As  the  frightened  Chinaman  was  scrambling  from 
under  me,  Caleb  condoled  me  by  saying : — 

"It's  good  enough  for  your  foolhardiness." 

"Foolliardiness,"  I  replied,  "why  didn't  you  catch  them? 
The  rascals  were  running  away  with  me." 

I  was  now  somewhat  recalled  to  a  sense  of  mv  situation.  I 
must  reconcile  the  fellow  or  walk  back  to  the  hotel.  So  I 
said,"  My  friend,  I  fear  you  have  mistaken  my  nervous  anxiety 
for  personal  violence  directed  toward  you ;  nothing  of  the 
sort  was  intended,  I  assure  you  ;  and  as  an  earnest  of  my  good 
feelings  I  here  tender  you  a  token  of  her  Majesty  Yictoria 
Kegina,  value  one  shilling," — and  threw  him  a  coin.  There- 
upon he  returned  to  his  duties  but  kept  an  eye  on  me  for  the 
balance  of  the  trip. 

"When  again  in  the  city  we  stopped  at  two  or  three  shops 
to  buy  some  curiosities.  Upon  pricing  them,  I  thought  they 
were  qiiite  dear.  However,  I  bought  two  or  three  articles, 
but  soon  found  I  had  been  terribly  taken  in.  Every  time  we 
started  to  leave,  they  lowered  their  prices,  until  by  degrees 
they  had  fallen  to  about  one  fifth  of  what  they  had  first 
asked.  It  was  so  in  regard  to  a  certain  beautifully  carved 
ivory  card  case  which  was  fairly  worth  two  or  three  dollars. 
I  felt  somewhat  vexed,  and  pulling  out  a  brass  coin  worth 
about  one  eighth  of  a  cent,  offered  that  for  it.  As  a  general 
thing  the  Chinese  countenance  is  dull,  and  void  of  expression  ; 
but  this  Chinaman  rolled  up  his  oblique  eyes,  stared  at  me  in 
astonishment,  muttered  something  in  Chinese,  seized  his  card 
case  and  put  it  away,  while  we  walked  out. 

Upon  our  return  to  the  hotel  we  paid  our  chairmen  fifty 
cents  for  each  chair,  which  was  good  pay  for  them,  yet  they 
were  dissatisfied,  and  my  leader  afterwards  took  delight  in 
revenging  himself  on  us,  and  especially  on  me.  "VThenevcr  we 
walked  the  streets,  he  was  sure  to  meet  us,  and  to  throw  off 
his  pigeon-English  sarcasm,  "  American  walk !  American 
walk  !  Coole  !  Coole  ! "  At  the  same  time,  he  would  have  been 
very  glad  to  have  carried  us  again. 


AN  UNCHARITABLE  LANDLORD. 


177 


"Whenever  vre  started  out  for  a  stroll,  it  "was  almost  impos- 
Bible  to  get  through  the  crowd  of  chairmen  who  hovered 
around  the  door.  All  through  the  city,  "  Chair !  Chair  !" 
continually  greeted  us.  As  but  few  foreigners  walked,  they 
thought  surely  we  should  not,  and  blocked  our  way  at  times 
until  we  were  obliged  to  treat  them  like  dogs. 

One  morning  as  we  were  upon  the  portico  of  the  second 
floor,  these  chairmen  so  obstructed  the  door  of  the  hotel 
that  the  landlord  came  out  with  a  club,  apparently  frantic 
with  rage,  and  made  an  indiscriminate  attack  upon  them. 
Some  tumbled  headforemost  over  their  chairs,  and  came 
sprawling  upon  the  ground  ;  the  rest  shot  off  like  rockets,  a 
hundred  pig-tails  streaming  in  the  air.  Then  the  landlord 
kicked  and  knocked  the  deserted  chairs  about  till  he  was 
exhausted,  and  returned  triumDhant  from  the  field. 


ABATING   A   NDXSAJsCt. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 
MOEE  ADYENTURES  IN  HONG  KONG. 

CALEB  is  a  pliilosopber,  and  feels  that  everyone  should 
have  something  like  his  proportion  of  this  world's  goods; 
and  whenever  he  sees  one  of  his  fellowmen  worse  off  than 
himself,  the  first  thing  which  suggests  itself  is  an  attempt  to 
restore  the  equilibrium.  On  one  occasion  a  beggar,  without 
any  special  claim  to  distinction,  asked  an  aim  and  of  course 
got  it.  The  consequence  of.  Caleb's  rashness  was  that  we 
were  obliged  to  leave  Hong  Kong  sooner  than  we  had  antici- 
pated, for  a  report  soon  got  around  that  two  American  trav- 
elers of  unbounded  wealth  and  generosity  were  in  the  city, 
and  our  peace  of  mind  was  at  once  destroyed.  Wherever 
we  went,  beggars  thronged  around  us. 

"When  a  Chinaman  of  the  lower  class  is  not  working, 
or  smoking,  or  begging,  he  is  gaml)ling.  Sometimes  this 
assumes  the  form  of  a  cheap  lottery ;  but  far  oftener  small 
groups  might  be  seen  sitting  on  the  floors  or  pavements  with 
little  piles  of  money  besides  them,  from  which  they  slapped 
down  one  or  two  small  coins,  the  ownership  of  which  was  after- 
wards decided  by  the  throwing  of  dice.  The  dice  boxes  used 
on  these  occasions  are  owned  and  shaken  by  an  outside  party 
who  receives  a  certain  commission  on  all  sums  won. 

The  Chinese  generally  smoke  tobacco  in  a  pipe,  but  are 
beginning  to  learn  to  use  cigars  ;  as  yet  they  have  not  learned 
to  chew.  When  an  aristocratic  Chinaman  assumes  airs  in 
the  way  of  ventilating  a  smoking  engine  he  does  the  thing 
properly.     He  procures  a  furnace  to  which  he  attaches  a  pipe 

178 


THE  CURSE  OF  THE  COUNTRY. 


179 


that  reaches  from  the  floor  to  his  mouth.  Having  filled  the 
boiler  beneath  the  furnace  with  cold  M-ater,  he  puts  a  small 
pinch  of  cut  tobacco  in  the  furnace  with  one  hand,  and  with 
the  other  applies  a  stick  of  slow-burning  pith  to  the  fuel. 
After  taking  a  deep  in- 
lialation  he  adjusts  a  tube 
which  changes  the  current 
of  air,  and  blows  out  the 
whole  contents  of  the  fur- 
nace, although  yet  barely 
ignited.  As  the  smoke  is 
curlinij  from  his  mouth 
and  nostrils  he  arranges  his 
apparatus  a  second  time, 
and  so  continues,  never 
taking  but  a  single  puff  at 
each  firing  up  of  his  en- 
gine. 

The  "  opium  smoking 
houses"  are  found  all  over 
China,  and  are  the  curse 
of  the  country.  At  our 
first  visit  to  one  of  them, 
we  beheld  a  well-dressed  lady  sitting  close  to  her  husband  who 
lay  upon  a  "  kang."  There  were  unmistakable  evidences  of 
sadness  in  her  countenance,  and  well  there  might  be,  for  this 
was  the  commencement  of  her  sorrows.  Her  husband  had 
entered  here  on  several  former  occasions,  but  on  the  previous 
evening  he  had  inhaled  the  poisonous  drug  more  freely  than 
ever  before.  It  had  worked  its  customary  result,  and  he  lay 
all  night  stupid,  in  fact  insensible,  and  in  the  morning  she 
had  gone  in  search  of  him  to  find  him  in  this  horrible  den. 
She  well  knew  that  it  would  not  stop  here;  that  it  was  as  the 
first  glass  to  the  drunkard's  lips,  and  it  was  all  she  could  do 
to  refrain  from  sobbing. 

We  visited  several  of  these  places  and  were  horrified  and 
disgusted  by  what  we  saw  therein.     Some  of  the  inmates  sit 


OAMBLINQ. 


180 


OPIUM  SMOKING. 


upon  the  floors  or  counters  and  stare  at  ns,  while  others  lie 
senseless,  or  are  too  far  overcome  by  the  drug  to  take  any 
notice  of  strangers. 

Some  are  preparing  the  opium  for  their  pipes  by  means 


THE  FAITHFUL  WIFE. 


of  small  iron  wires,  one  end  of  which  they  heat  in  a  lamp 
burning  near  at  hand.  "When  the  wire  is  liotthey  put  it  into 
the  opium  gum,  twist  on  a  little  lump,  convey  it  to  the  lamp, 
heat  it  until  it  swells  and  begins  to  run  down,  but  keeping 
it  on  the  wire  by  means  of  whirling  it  about.  When  properly 
heated,  they  run  the  end  of  the  wire  into  a  small  hole  in 
the  bowl  of  the  pipe.  As  the  opium  cools  it  sticks  to  the 
bowl,  enabling  them  to  draw  the  wire  out  by  giving  it  a  quick 
twist,  leaving  a  hole  in  the  opium  through  which  to  draw  the 
smoke.  Kow  they  lie  down  upon  the  matted  floor  beside  the 
lamp,  put  the  pipe  to  the  blaze,  and  puff  away.  For  a  few 
moments  it  seems  to  exhilarate,  though  scarcely  noticeable ; 
then  follows  a  quiet  languor.  Still  remaining  upon  their  sides, 
they  adjust  the  opium  a  little,  probably  pusliing  another  hole 
through  it  into  the  bowl  of  the  pipe.  In  fifteen  or  twenty 
minutes  they  are  ready  for  a  fresh  supply. 

By  the  time  two  or  three  pipes  are  smoked,  and  occasion- 
ally sooner,  they  begin  to  lose  all  activity.    It  seems  to  benumb 


mrORTATIOX  OF  OPIUM.  181 

the  sensibilities,  and  take  away  all  life,  and  they  lie  ap- 
parently lifeless.  Those  that  are  habitual  smokers  be- 
come enervated  in  both  body  and  mind — their  limbs  are 
withered,  their  ankles  and  wrists  appear  like  pipe  stems,  their 
eyes  are  sunken,  and  their  features  pale  and  ghastly.  Ilcre 
they  lie,  their  lungs  having  become  so  completely  saturated 
with  smoke  that  it  comes  curling  out  at  their  nostrils  for 
some  time  after  they  have  ceased  smoking. 

The  Chinese  are  now  learning  to  cultivate  the  poppy,  and 
manufacture  its  juice  into  opium  themselves  ;  but  the  great 
amount  of  this  drug  is  imported  from  India  by  the  British, 
even  to  the  amount  of  from  12,000,000  to  15,000,000  lbs.  per 
annum — an  increase  of  fully  twenty  fold  during  the  present 
century,  and  this  notwithstanding  the  government  of  China, 
knowing  its  pernicious  effect,  has  continually  opposed  such 
importation.  The  Chinese,  having  once  come  in  contact  with 
it,  have  been  wild  with  a  desire  for  the  drug ;  while  the 
Enirlish,  to  their  shame,  be  it  said,  have  assisted  in  smusrsrlino: 
it  into  the  ports  of  China,  and  have  pressed  the  permission 
for  its  sale  upon  the  Chinese  government  with  unwarranted 
means,  even  by  arms,  so  that  now  its  importation  is  legalized. 

As  an  offset  to  this  vice  of  opium  smoking,  it  may  be  said 
that  the  Chinese  do  not  use  intoxicating  liquors  of  any  kind  ; 
tea  and  weak  spirits  made  from  rice,  being  their  strongest 
drink.  I  never  saw  a  drunken  Chinaman  ;  and  I  suppose  they 
would  be  as  much  astonished  at  our  drinking  propensities  as 
we  were  at  their  opium  smoking  .That  they  are  occasionally 
amused  thereby  is  certain  ;  and  while  we  were  in  Ilong  Kong 
an  American  gentleman  who,  Nvhen  sober,  M-as  qualified  by 
nature  and  education  to  move  in  the  best  society,  greatly 
amused  the  natives  by  sitting  down  in  the  mud,  under  the 
impression  that  he  was  taking  a  seat  in  the  "chair"  which 
he  had  enjiaored  for  a  ride. 

The  Chinese  are  justly  noted  for  their  great  imitative  powers. 
This  faculty,  together  with  their  incredible  patience  in  appli- 
cation, renders  them  a  very  skillful  people,  to  the  truth  of 
■which  their  many  beautiful  carvings  and  other  works  of  art 


182 


IMITATIVE  CHINAMEX. 


will  attest.  Let  any  object  no  matter  how  intricate  and 
puzzling,  be  placed  before  one  of  these  Orientals,  and  he  will 
accomplish  the  reproduction  of  it  even  to  the  smallest  and 
most  insignihcaut  particulars.     This  imitative  power  has  been 

the  origin  of  many 
yarns.  Probably  you 
have  heard  how  an 
American  took  an  old 
pair  of  boots  to  a  China- 
man as  a  model  by 
which  to  have  a  new 
pair  made.  In  a  few 
days  he  went  for  his 
new  boots,  but  to  his 
surprise  one  of  the  toes 
was  adorned  with  a 
patch  similar  to  that  on 
one  of  the  old  ones. 

The  story  related  by 
Bridget  illustrates  in  a 
laughable  manner  this 
faculty  in  a  Chinaman 
employed  to  assist  her  in  the  kitchen. 

"You're  aware  ycrsel '  how  the  boondles  comin'  in  from 
the  grocery  often  contains  more'n '  11  go  in  any  thing  decently. 
So  for  that  matter  I'd  now  and  then  take  out  a  sup  o'sugar 
or  flour  or  tay  an'wrap  it  in  paper,  an  put  it  in  me  bit  of  a  box 
tucked  under  the  ironin'  blanket,  the  how  it  cuddent  be 
bodderin'  anyone.  Well  what  shud  it  be  but  this  blessed 
Sathurday  morn  the  missis  was  a  spakin'  pleasant  and  respect- 
ful wid  me  in  me  kitchen,  when  the  grocer-boy  comes  in  an' 
stands  fornenst  her  wid  her  boondles,  an'  she  motions  like  to 
Fing  Wing  (which  I  never  could  call  him  by  that  name  ner 
any  other  but  just  haythin) — she  motions  to  him,  she  does,  for 
to  take  the  boondles  an'  empty  out  the  sugar  an'  what  not 
where  they  belongs.  If  you'll  belave  me,  Ann  Ryan,  what 
did  that  blatherin'  Chineser  do  but  take  out  a  sup  o'  sugar  an' 


AM0SING  THE  NATIVES. 


BRIDGET'S  STORY.  1S3 

a  handful  o'  tay,  an'  a  bit  o'  cliazc,  right  afore  the  missis, 
wrap  them  into  bits  o'  paper,  an'  I  spachless  wid  shurprise, 
an'  he  the  next  minute  up  wid  the  ironin'  Uanket  and  puUin' 
out  me  box,  wid  a  show  o'  bein'  sly  to  put  them  in.  Och, 
the  Lord  forgive  me,  but  I  clutched  it,  and  the  missis  sayin' 
"O  Kitty"  in  a  way  that 'ud  cuddle  your  blood.  "He's  a 
haythin  nager"  says  1.  "I've  found  you  out,"  says  she.  "I'll 
arrist  him,"  says  I.  "It's  you  who  ought  to  be  arrested,"  says 
she.  "You  won't,"  says  I.  "I  will,"  says  she.  And  so  it 
went  till  she  give  me  such  sass  as  I  cuddent  take  from  no  lady, 
an'  I  give  her  warnin'  an'  left  that  instant,  an'  she  a  pointin' 
to  the  doore." 

One  day  as  we  sat  in  our  room  at  the  hotel,  a  Chinese 
barber  entered  seeking  employment  in  his  profession.  After 
he  had  shaved  Caleb  satisfactorily,  I  concluded  to  have  my 
hair  cut,  and  that  pretty  short,  as  it  was  in  a  hot  climate. 
The  next  thing  was  to  make  the  barber  understand  how  I 
wanted  it  done.  My  chin  whiskers  had  grown  out  an  inch  or 
so,  while  those  on  the  side  of  my  face  were  four  or  live  times 
as  long.  By  stroking  my  chin  whiskers,  I  tried  to  make  him 
understand  that  I  wanted  my  hair  cut  about  so  short.  He 
looked  astonished ;  so  I  again  rubbed  my  chin,  and  told  him 
with  considerable  emphasis  that  I  wanted  my  hair  cut  to 
same  length.  As  he  still  appeared  astonished,  I  became  vexed, 
and  told  him  to  go  to  work ;  whereupon  he  nodded  liis  head, 
and  began  to  clip  away  at  the  top  of  my  head.  I  thought 
it  rather  a  singular  commencement  and  looked  round  at  Caleb 
who  appeared  to  be  busily  engaged  reading.  A  moment 
later  however  he  burst  into  laughter,  and  I  rushed  to  the 
lookinir-irlass.  Stars  ! — The  barber  had  cut  a  furrow  from  fore- 
head  to  the  crown  of  my  head  like  a  swarth  through  a  field  of 
wheat.  He  was  evidently  trying  to  make  the  hair  on  my  head 
correspond  to  that  on  my  face. 

As  I  gazed  on  the  Chinaman's  handiwork,  a  wild  frenzy 
seized  me,  and  I  looked  at  him  in  a  way  which  overcame  his 
serene  composure  and  caused  him  to  retreat  to  the  other  side 
of  the  room,  while  his  spectacles  fell  from  his  nose.     The 


184 


CUTTING  A  SWARTH. 


ridiculous  appearance  wbich  I  presented  proved  liis  salvation, 
for  I  laughed  so  loud  and  long  that  I  was  powerless  to  harm 
him. 

"We  three  then  held  a  consultation,  as  to  how  I  could  best 
get  out  of  the  scrape,  and  as  a  result,  the  barber  was  invited 
to  persevere  in  the  work  be  had  commenced;  he  did  so  with  a 
will,  and  soon  relieved  me  of  nearly  all  the  hair  I  had  on  my 
head.  For  a  full  month  after,  I  was  a  perfect  scare-crow, 
and  the  laughing  stock  of  all  the  guests  at  the  hotel. 


A    BARBEROCS  BARBER. 


CHAPTER  XX. 
THE  LAST  OF  HONG  KONG. 

SOMEONE  says  there  are  300,000,000  Chinese  in  the  world, 
and  I  suppose  he  must  be  correct.  1  would  not  contradict 
a  man  who  has  counted  300,000,000  of  anything,  much  less 
Chinese.  I  am  willing  to  believe  there  are  twice  that  number 
rather  than  dispute  even  with  a  man  who  has  suffered  so  many 
Chinese  to  rest  on  his  mind.  "We  saw  only  about  5,000,000, 
and  thought  we  had  seen  all  we  could  conveniently  remember ; 
in  fact  their  presence  became  quite  monotonous. 

The  fashions  of  China  are  at  a  standstill  like  everything 
else,  and  although  a  stranger  is  very  much  interested  for  a 
while,  the  sameness  soon  becomes  wearisome.  Every  China- 
man has  a  single  tuft  of  hair  left  on  his  otherwise  cleanly 
shaven  head,  and  this  hair  is  plaited  and  lengthened  out  with 
pieces  of  black  silk  until  it  dangles  almost  to  the  ground. 
Very  loose  trowsers,  a  garment  half  shirt  and  half  jacket 
reaching  below  the  hips ;  shoes  made  of  straw  with  wooden  or 
felt  soles,  or  more  frequently  no  soles  at  all — these  are  the 
habiliments  of  over  one  third  of  the  human  race.  Their  hats 
are  studies  of  absurdity  and  are  as  varied  as  tlie  caprice  or 
wealth  of  their  owners.  A  beggarly  sedan  carrier  may  be 
obliged  to  put  up  with  a  discarded  sailor  hat,  but  a  patrician 
rat  dealer  feels  more  dignified  under  the  shade  of  a  broad 
brimmed  palm  leaf.  Others  suggestively  adorn  their  heads 
with  a  covering  resembling  a  candle  extinguisher;  and  large 
numbers  go  without  anything  in  the  shape  of  a  hat. 

185 


186 


ABOUT  THE  WOMEX. 


The  women  of  the  lower  classes  dress  nearly  the  same  as  the 
men,  but  select  more  showy  colors  for  their  garments.  A 
blue  cotton  stuff  is  the  prevailing   material,  but  silk  and  linen 


A  STUDY  OK  HATS. 


are  worn  by  the  upper  classes.  The  women  retain  all  the 
hair  they  can,  and  among  the  more  refined  the  method  of 
dressing  it  is  very  good — in  effect  at  least;  they  comb  it 
neatly  back,  flute  it  on  either  side  to  resemble  wings,  and  do 
it  up  in  a  large  mass  on  the  back  of  the  head.  All  the  poor 
women  go  without  shoes,  and  their  feet  are  moderately  large  ; 
but  the  nobility  bind  the  feet  of  their  children  in  infancy, 
thereby  preventing  their  growth  though  their  ankles  are  of  the 
natural  size.  The  unfortunate  victims  of  this  fashion  sel- 
dom walk ;  but  when  they  do,  go  hobbling  along  leaning  for 
support  on  servants.  The  corset  is  as  yet  unknown  in  the 
country.  They  have  in  China  an  infallible  way  of  discover- 
ing who  are  gentlemen  of  "  elegant  leisure  "  and  who  are  not. 


SCENE  FROM  THE  BALCONY. 


187 


Every  man  who  has  nothing  else  to  do,  spends  his  time  in 
cultivating  his  linger  nails.  It  is  considered  a  great  mark  of 
beauty  to  have  long  nails,  and  some  even  go  so  far  as  to 
wear  small  bamboo  sheaths  on  their  fingers  at  night  to  pre- 
vent their  being  broken  while  sleeping. 

From  the  balcony  of  our  hotel — which  faced  so  that  we 
had  a  view  down  four  streets — we  observed,  morning,  noon 
and  night,  passing  crowds  of  Mongolias,  each  seeming  intent 
on  some  object,  ever  wondering  at  their  ceaseless  industry, 
and  the  poverty  resulting  therefrom.  Here  and  there  were 
sedan  chairs  borne  by  stalwart  men  regardless  of  all  in  their 


MISTRESS   AND    MAID. 


course,  who  violently  jostled  the  yielding  throng  that  never 
thought  of  resenting  the  indignity.  Venders  of  soup,  gam- 
blers plying  their  nefarious  profession,  tinkers,  each  and  all 
on  the  streets,  working  along  as  stolidly  and  incessantly  as 
though  in  some  private  shop  where  no  one  could  interfere. 
What  a  motley  group  we  look  down  upon  from  this  balcony 


188 


STREET  MERCHAXTS. 


of  ours  !  Here  two  partners  in  a  venture  sustain  their  united 
capital  stock  in  a  huge  basket  hung  to  a  pole,  and  shout  their 
jargon  above  the  din  of  competing  venders  of  vegetables, 
fruits,  or  curious  wares — each  traveling  merchant  presenting 
the  appearance  of  a  pair  of  walking  scales.  Across  the  way 
is  a  bookseller ;  next  to  him  is  a  lishstand  ;  then  comes  a  barber. 


SIDEWALK  ARTISANS. 


The  principal  person  of  one  group  shakes  from  a  little  cup  a 
number  of  small  sticks,  looks  intently  upon  each  one,  and  pro- 
nounces his  customer's  destiny. 

One  day  a  native  ran  by  our  hotel  at  the  top  of  his  speed, 
followed  by  a  gaunt  Indiaman  in  tlie  garb  of  a  policeman. 
Down  the  street  they  went,  but  the  policeman  rapidly  gaining 
on  the  runaway  at  length  seized  him  by  his  pigtail,  compelled 
him  to  carry  tlie  bundle  he  had  stolen  back  to  its  owner,  and 
then  dragged  him  away  for  punishment.  Soon  after,  down 
the  widest  street  came  a  funeral  procession  preceeded  by  a 
band  of  weird  musicians  playing  upon  their  instruments,  which 


A  CIIIXESE  rUNERAL. 


1S9 


sounded  as  though  each  man  was  playing  a  different  tune  as 
his  fancy  dictated.  Close  behind  theiu  came  people  carrying 
food  and  ornaments  to  be  left  at  the  tomb  as  is  the  custom, 
that  the  deceased  may  not  fare  badly  before  he  becomes  ac- 


A  POLICEMAN  AND  HIS  VICTIM. 


quainted  in  the  next  world.  The  coffin  was  made  of  two 
hollow  logs,  which,  slung  on  poles,  was  borne  along  by  four 
men  on  foot.  Then  came  the  hired  mourners  dressed  all  in 
white.  What  a  noise  they  made  !  I  believe  one  good  healthy 
Chinese  can  make  more  discord  on  a  gong  than  any  hotel 
waiter  ever  dreamed  of.  The  only  cheerful  thing  about  the 
procession  was  the  ringing  of  the  bells,  which  was  kept  up  in- 
cessantly by  boys  who  seemed  striving  to  drown  all  the  other 
performers. 

Just  outside  the  city  away  from  its  noisy  turmoil  is  another 
— the  City  of  the  Dead.  The  ostentatious  display  of  wealth 
in  every  direction,  contrasts  strangely  M-ith  the  oppressive 
silence  that  is  broken  only  by  our  echoing  footsteps  as  we 
wander  from  house  to  house  paying  our  respects  to  the  mute 
occupants,  who,  deaf  alike  to  our  curiosity  or  compliments, 
sleep  on  undisturbed.  As  the  lengthened  shadows  of  declin- 
ing day  creep  across  this  chamber  of  the  tomb  in  which  we 
are  standing — a  tomb  more  beautiful  than  all  the  rest — a 
vague  sense  of  terror  comes  over  us.  On  a  raised  platform 
12 


190  RELIGIOUS  PROCESSIONS, 

covered  with  an  embroidered  velvet  robe  rests  the  coffin  of  a 
high  Mandarin.  With  an  appropriateness  suggestive  of  his 
bloody  career,  the  trappings  of  this  dispenser  of  Chinese 
justice  are  all  red.  Cruel,  unrelenting  and  purse-proud,  there 
came  an  hour  when  neither  wealth,  pride,  or  power  availed 
him ;  custom,  and  family  pride  for  a  little  longer  maintain 
this  empty  show  of  poAver,  but  it  is  only  a  parody  on  life  and 
soon  another  lifeless  body  will  thrust  him  from  his  hollow 
throne. 

"We  went  to  a  wedding,  and  saw  the  presents  which  the 
bride  was  to  receive  ;  there  was  a  substantial  look  about  them 
which  was  refreshing.  They  consisted  of  pieces  of  household 
furniture,  baskets  of  ducks  and  geese,  and  two  pigs.  We 
moralized  considerably  over  the  ostentatious  display  ;  but  our 
landlord  told  us  that  most  of  the  presents  were  hired  or  bor- 
rowed for  the  occasion.  A  man  when  he  marries  a  wife  in 
China  takes  her  sight  unseen,  for  he  never  sees  her  until  after 
she  is  brought  home  to  his  house  in  a  covered  sedan  chair. 

This  is  the  time  of  year  for  religious  processions  from 
Canton,  and  we  are  frequently  drawn  by  curiosity  to  look 
over  the  railing  of  our  hotel  veranda  as  they  pass,  and  watch 
them  as  long  as  they  are  in  sight.  We  do  not  understand 
them  ;  and  doubt  very  much  if  any  earthly  being  does — not 
even  the  Chinese  themselves.  Here  comes  one  1  It  is  late  in 
the  morning,  yet  some  in  front  are  bearing  torches.  Now 
comes  their  hideous  music.  Following,  are  parties  carrying 
images,  such  as  dragons,  scorpions,  lions,  serpents  and  gods, 
while  behind  them  are  others  dressed  in  strange  uniforms, 
hand  in  hand,  keeping  step,  noticing  nothing,  but  appearing 
downcast  and  looking  toward  the  ground.  In  the  rear  are 
carts  containing  little  pale-faced  girls,  with  each  standing  on 
one  leg — the  other  one  being  tied  up  so  that  it  cannot  be  seen. 
Thus  they  stand  the  livelong  day,  and  at  night  they  are  com- 
pletely exhausted. 

Our  stay  at  Hong  Kong  was  full  of  interest,  and  our  land- 
lord, an  American,  did  everything  possible  to  make  it  pleasant 
for  us.     The  hotel  was  run  in  the  European  style,  though 


WAYSIDE  RESTAURANTS.  191 

eomewliat  modified  to  suit  the  Chinese  taste.  At  meals  we 
had  seven  or  eight  courses  of  dishes,  including  two  or  three 
plates  of  soup.  The  waiters,  and  those  who  pulled  the  great 
fan  that  hung  from  the  ceiling  over  the  table,  and  the  serv- 
ants who  bhicked  our  boots  in  the  morning  before  we  were 
up,  were  all  natives.  As  their  labor  was  cheap,  they  were 
numerous  about  the  hotel;  one  to  do  this,  and  another  that, 
without  our  being  charged  extra  for  services  as  we  were  in 
Europe.  Still  our  bills  in  Ilong  Ivong  were,  upon  the  whole, 
larger  than  they  were  either  in  Europe  or  America,  as  the 
vegetables  which  suited  our  taste  were  scarce,  and  much  of 
the  flour  was  brought  from  San  Francisco. 

The  Chinese  restaurants  were  simple  and  primitive  beyond 
anything  we  had  ever  seen.  Here  and  there  along  the  side- 
walks were  Chinamen  with  little  fires  kindled,  upon  which 
they  were  boiling  kettles  of  soup,  and  occasionally  dropping 
therein  something  which  resembled  small  apple  dumplings. 
Around  these  restaurants  were  the  guests ;  each  one  received 
a  bowl  of  soup  or  a  dish  of  the  dumplings,  and  ate  in  a  stand- 
ing posture  or  while  squatting  upon  the  ground  like  a  monkey. 
Sometimes  little  rolls  of  sweet  cakes  might  also  be  bought  at 
the  more  stylish  of  these  establishments.  We  purchased 
some  of  the  cakes,  out  of  curiosity,  and  tried  to  eat  them ; 
but  they  had  a  sickening  sweetish  taste  which  we  could  not 
appreciate.  The  soups  and  dumplings  we  were  not  brave 
enough  to  try,  but  we  had  the  audacity  on  a  certain  occasion 
to  take  a  meal  at  a  Chinese  hotel.  It  is  seldom  you  find 
these  hotels  anything  else  than  mean  and  dirty,  and  the  one 
we  patronized  was  no  exception  to  the  general  rule. 

The  dining  table  was  set  with  two  or  three  small  plates 
and  saucers  for  each  guests,  while  other  delicate  dishes  of 
China-ware  were  scattered  here  and  there  over  the  table ; 
each  guest  was  also  furnished  with  a  "  China  spoon,"  and  a 
pair  of  "chop  sticks."  These  sticks  were  slim  and  round, 
and  generally  six  or  seven  inches  in  length,  and  took  the  place 
of  knives  and  forks.  Of  course  our  tea  cups  were  filled  with 
tea,  as  this  article  is  universally  used,  the  tea-plant  ranking 


192  A  MYSTERIOUS  DISH. 

■first  in  importance  of  all  the  products  of  China.  We  were 
fully  supplied  with  rice,  this  article  ranking  next  in  import- 
ance to  tea ;  it  is  to  the  Chinaman  what  bread  is  to  the 
American — in  fact  many  almost  live  on  it,  at  a  cost  of  not 
more  than  five  or  six  cents  per  day.  The  Chinese  eat  rice 
with  their  chop  sticks  with  the  greatest  ease ;  but  we  made 
bungling  work  of  it.     Then  something  else  was  brought  in. 

No  person  except  the  cook  could  tell  what  it  was,  as  he, 
by  grating,  or  hashing,  or  rendering  into  soup,  nearly  always 
disguises  the  original  shape  of  the  eatables — especially  meats. 
All  we  could  tell  was,  that  it  resembled  a  slimy  and  gluti- 
nous soup.  For  this  kind  of  soup  they  beat  the  world ;  and 
as  it  is  generally  made  from  sea-weeds  of  all  descriptions, 
blubber  fish,  the  roots  and  tender  shoots  of  plants,  bird-nests, 
insects  etc,  we  didn't  know  exactly  whether  it  would  be  safe 
to  try  it  or  not.  It  tasted  about  as  might  be  expected  from 
its  looks;  but  we  ate  it  all,  and  could  not  even  then  decide 
whether  we  liked  it  or  not. 

After  finishing  the  soup  we  were  ready  for  something  else, 
and  a  bowlful  of  what  might  be  hash  was  brought  in  and 
pa^ised  around.  The  guests  dove  into  it  with  their  chop  sticks, 
and  we  finally  managed  to  get  a  little  onto  our  plates.  What 
was  it?  It  could  not  be  beef,  for  this  is  never  eaten  by  the 
Chinese.  It  did  not  look  like  pork,  although  this  is  con- 
sumed in  great  quantities;  nor  did  it  look  like  fowl,  not- 
withstanding poultry  is  their  favorite  meat ;  nor  fish,  yet 
many  almost  live  upon  this  article  of  food.  Tortoise,  turtles, 
and  frogs  are  frequently  cooked,  but  we  were  not  so  well 
acquainted  with  those  kinds  of  meat.  "\Ve  knew  snakes, 
puppies,  cats  and  rats  are  sometimes  eaten,  but  hoped  it  was 
not  any  of  these.  "We  must  not  judge  by  appearances  how- 
ever, for  that  would  throw  us  out  of  our  Chinese  dinner,  as  it 
looked  as  much  like  door  meat  as  any  thino:  else. 

A  taste  however  satisfied  us  that  v:e  did  not  want  any 
more;  and  at  the  same  moment  Caleb,  staring  at  his  spoon, 
declared  that  he  had  found  traces  of  a  defunct  puppy.  On 
looking  at  the    mysterious  "fossil"  I    became  of  the  same 


THE  MYSTERY  SOLVED. 


193 


opinion,  and  was  incited  to  a  closer  inspection  of  my  own 
dish,  which  resulted  in  the  discovery  of  an  eye-lash  of  a  rat. 
One  seldom  sees  Caleb  angr}-,  but  this  was  too  nnich  for  his 
serenity.  His  eye  kindled ;  blood  shot  through  his  cheeks, 
and  he  exclaimed  : — 

"  It's  a  mean  dirty  swindle  !  I  shall  have  my  revenge  on 
these  lieathens  yet !  " 

They  all  stared  at  us,  but  we  jumped  up  and  walked  toward 


OCR    FIRST    RAT-SOUP. 


the  cashier,  who  was  astounded  and  frightened,  and  seemed 
anxious  to  run  away.  Throwing  a  few  coins  down  before 
him,  I  shouted  : — 

"  Take  them,  and  run  your  rat  shanty  into  the  ground  !  " 
As  we  walked  out,  a  dozen  pig-tails  collected  around  our 
dishes  to  see  what  had  so  mysteriously  wrought  upon  the 
feelings  of  the  "foreign  devils"  as  they  called  us,  and  in  fact 
call  all  foreigners.  For  some  time  this  dinner  haunted  ns; 
and  I  think  it  must  have  been  a  full  week  before  Caleb 
prayed  again  for  the  "  heathen  Chinese." 

Our  American  host  informed  us  that  had  we  remained  to 
finish  our  dinner  there  would  have  been  twelve  or  fifteen 
changes  of  food,  all  similar  in  appearance,  generally  insipid  to 
our  taste,  but  with  only  a  few  repulsive  dishes. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 
UP  THE  CANTON  ElYEK. 

AS  we  steamed  away  from  the  British  harbor  of  Hong 
Kong  for  the  vast  city  of  Canton,  my  blood  naturally 
ran  cold  upon  discovering  that  we  constituted  two  of  the  four 
Europeans  aboard.  AYe  glanced  with  suspicions  at  the  hun- 
dreds of  Chinamen  huddled  around  on  the  floor  gambling  for 
small  iron  coins.  "Will  not  thev,  ima£:ininfi:  that  we  have 
gold,  conspire  against  us  and  divide  the  spoil?"  1  did  not  say 
it  aloud,  but  thought  it. 

Soon  however  our  attention  was  drawn  to  a  fellow  on  the 
lower  deck  pillowing  his  head  on  a  bundle  of  hay.  Accident- 
ally, as  it  seemed  to  us,  his  cranium  slipped  from  the  bundle 
which,  thereupon,  rolled  overboard  into  the  water.  The 
patient  Chinaman  endured  his  loss  by  meekly  replacing  it 
with  another.  By  and  by  this  suffered  the  same  fate  as  the 
former  one.  Caleb  suggested  that  had  this  Celestial  possessed 
any  inventive  genius  he  would  have  made  it  fast  with  his  pig- 
tail. Finally,  upon  his  loosing  a  third  bundle,  we  concluded 
he  was  softening  the  hay  for  greens.  But  I  confess  that 
secretly  I  did  not  believe  in  this  supposition,  as  I  had  never 
seen  a  Chinese  horse,  and  consequently  horse  greens  could  be 
of  no  earthly  use  ; — besides  we  observed  that  a  boat  happened 
along  and  picked  up  each  bundle  before  it  had  time  to  soak 
much.  AVe  had  heard  of  opium  smuggling,  and  naturally 
formed  an  opinion.  As  the  principal  officers  of  the  steamer 
were  Europeans,  of  course  they  did  not  see  the  trick.  The 
sale  of  opium  was  increased,  and  the  Chinese  government 
was  minus  the  duty — that  was  all. 

194 


BOARDED  BY  A  DETECTIVE. 


195 


Soon  after  this  another  European  came  aboard  our  vessel. 
lie  had  been  in  China  so  lonj^  that  every  other  word  he  used 
had  lost  all  traces  of  the  English  ring.  We  consoled  ourselves 
with  the  idea  that  our  random  responses  to  his  questions  were 
as  unintelligible  to  him.  However,  after  great  difficulty  we 
comprehended  that  he  was  a  Chinese  detective  employed  by 
that  government  to  board  all  vessels  passing  these  waters. 
It  struck  us  that  were  there  five  hundred  such  detective  offi- 


OPinU  SMUGGLINQ. 


cers,  smugglers  might  hide  their  boats  among  the  numberless 
islands  that  crowded  both  the  open  sea  and  the  mouth  of  the 
Canton  river.  AVe  seemed  to  be  sailing  among  mountain 
peaks  projecting  boldly  from  the  water,  yet  under  terrace 
cultivation. 

Our  fears  of  the  native  passengers  subsided  as  we  steamed 
up  the  river,  past  fort  after  fort,  and  village  after  village, 
— walled  cities  in  fact — and  beheld  the  cannons  dismounted, 
and  the  walls  more  or  less  broken  down,  during  a  former 
unpleasantness,  by  shots  from  the  European  gunboats.  The 
whole  of  the  interior  of  the  forts  was  exposed  to  view,  for 
instead  of  the  walls  crowning  the  summits  of  the  hills  they 
were  bravely  built  along  the  bottom,  so  that  the  retreat  of 
the  inmates  when  attacked  had  been  rendered  impossible 
owing  to  the  steep  banks  behind  them.     The  English  and 


196  REMINISCENCES  OF  THE  WAR. 

French  troops  went  round  to  tlie  rear  of  the  fortifications 
and  rolled  stones  down  upon  the  heads  of  the  innocent  inmates, 
who  had  never  thought  of  this  device  and  considered  it  a 
dishonest  trick.  "  Inglis  fits  no  far ;  he  snaks  round  on  rere 
an'  hurl  rock  an'  shell  onto  us  back !  " 

The  principal  object  of  the  English,  especially  in  destroying 
these  forts,  was  a  disreputable  one,  namely,  the  flooding  of 
China  with  their  opium  from  India.  As  early  as  1793,  an 
embassy  from  England  was  kindly  received  at  Pekin  ;  but  on 
account  of  its  efforts  to  introduce  opium,  another  embassy 
which  was  sent  in  1816  was  not  admitted  into  the  presence 
of  the  emperor.  Afterward,  severe  prohibitory  laws  were 
enacted  against  the  use  of  opium.  This  exasperated  the 
British  who  then  tried  to  frighten  the  Chinese  by  certain 
military  demonstrations  in  Canton,  which  were  however  with- 
out effects 

At  intervals  ever  since  they  have  continued  these  demon- 
strations, and  at  times  have  even  bombarded  forts.  Occasion- 
ally they  have  gained  some  advantages,  and  in  1842  the  island 
of  Hong  Kong  was  ceded  to  them.  In  1856,  a  crew  of  Chinese 
who  were  carrying  on  the  smuggling  business  under  the 
British  flag,  were  captured  by  the  Cliinese  authorities  at 
Canton.  The  British  demanded  restitution,  which  was  haugh- 
tily refused.  The  English  resorted  to  force,  and  were  joined 
by  the  French  as  an  ally.  The  Americans  in  Chinese  waters, 
to  the  surprise  of  many,  were  rather  inclined  to  take  part 
against  the  natives.  About  this  time  an  American  ship  was 
fired  into,  probably  through  mistake,  and  at  once  the  United 
States  frigate  under  Commodore  Armstrong  bombarded  and 
captured  four  forts  with  numerous  guns  below  Canton  ;  but  it 
is  only  fair  to  state  that  this  act  was  not  approved  of  by  our 
government.  The  English  by  bombardment  destroyed  the 
principal  government  buildings  at  Canton,  and  gained  some 
advantages ;  but  in  the  latter  part  of  the  year  the  Chinese 
populace  made  a  demonstration,  and  many  Englishmen  fell 
victims  to  their  wrath. 

Early  in  1857,  the  English  destroyed  a  sq^uadron  of  Chinese 


CAPTURE  OF  CANTON.  197 

junks,  and  in  September  the  Chinese  government  declared 
war  against  her  enemy.  Upon  this  tlic  English,  with  France 
as  an  ally,  pushed  forward  more  vigorously  than  ever.  Fort 
after  fort  was  taken.  The  Chinese  sank  thousands  of  sampans 
loaded  with  stones  to  check  the  progress  of  the  gunboats,  but 
on  they  pushed  until  opposite  Canton,  which  soon  surrendered, 
although  the  gunboats  were  few  in  number,  and  Canton  was 
much  larger  than  Kew  York,  and  surrounded  by  a  wall  many 
feet  thick.  Since  that  time  the  Chinese  have  thought  it  use- 
less to  defend  these  dismantled  forts  along  the  river. 

After  capturing  Canton  the  invading  forces  threatened 
Pekin  itself,  and  toward  the  middle  of  1S5S  approached  to 
within  a  few  miles  of  that  great  city.  The  emperor  becoming 
alarmed  entered  into  a  treaty  respecting  opium, — thus  legali- 
zing suicide,  and  paying  the  other  side  for  it 

AVhy  will  a  thousand  Chinamen  permit  one  European  to 
rule  over  them  ?  Some  answer,  they  are  weak  and  feeble  ; 
but  a  couple  will  carry  an  European  through  a  town  at  a  speed 
faster  than  he  can  carry  himself.  Is  that  feebleness  ?  Others 
say  they  are  cowardly;  1  think  so  too,  but  could  never  fully 
understand  why  in  a  quarrel  they  will  bravely  face  each  other 
with  the  most  deadly  weapons.  The  secret  of  the  matter  is, 
I  believe,  they  have  no  self  respect.  I  have  fi-equently  read 
that  they  are  proud  ;  but  it  seems  to  be  in  the  sense  that  a  dog 
is  at  times  proud.  The  masses  have  been  so  accustomed  to  that 
old  Confucian  idea  of  childlike  obedience  to  superiors  of  every 

*  grade  and  rank,  and  so  cowed  down  into  their  respective 
spheres  of  littleness  for  thirty  centuries,  that  their  canine  dig- 
nity has  become  a  second  nature  above  which  they  never  as- 
pire.    AVe  observed  that  if  one  of  the  natives  on  board  our 

.  vessel  happened  to  be  trying  to  find  out  how  a  Chinaman 
would  fit  an  European  chair,  he  would  vacate  it  when  we  ap- 
proached, as  meekly  as  though  he  liad  been  shot  at  and  missed, 
causing  us  to  rather  appreciate  his  deference  than  to  fear  his 
force. 

The  river  banks  were  now  low  and  level,  dotted  here  and 
there  by  a  city,  between  which  there  was  not  a  single  habita- 


198 


AN  EMPEPwOR'S  EXAMPLE. 


tion,  Yast  fields  minutely  but  impereeptiblj  divided  and 
subdivided,  "were  covered  with  Chinamen.  Here  they  were 
bending  among  the  rice,  hoeing  and  pulling  out  the  weeds ; 
there  half  a  dozen  in  a  square  rod  were  using  sickles  in  a 
harvest  field  ;  while  not  far  away  were  others  threshing  a  field 
of  grain  ;  and  still  others  near  by  more  brisk  than  their  neigh- 
bors, were  setting  out  their  second  crop  of  rice  on  ground  that 
had  lately  been  scratched  over  by  a  wooden  plow  drawn  by  a 


FLOWING  LIK£  HIS  FATBEB. 


buffalo  that  moved  just  slow  enough  for  a  Chinaman  unanima- 
tedby  the  presence  of  a  foreigner  or  his  half  dollar.    As  their 
fathers  have  plowed  before  them  for  centuries  back  so  plow   * 
they,  nor  sigh  for  innovation  or  improvement. 

The  emperor  has  a  habit  of  plowing  one  furrow  and 
sowing  rice  therein  every  year,  to  impress  upon  his  imitative 
subjects  the  importance  of  agriculture  which  is  the  chief  in- 
dustry of  China.  In  their  slow  way  they  elevate  water  in 
buckets  over  their  fields,  and  what  a  Chinaman  will  not  con- 


O 

CO 

h4  ■ 
« 

i-i 

o 


LIFE  IN  THE  SAMPANS. 


201 


THE  GUARDIAN  PAGODA. 


descend  to  do  in  the  way  of  enriching  the  soil  no  other  being 
can  do.  lie  is  content  to  cultivate  a  small  piece  of  ground 
above  the  graves  of  his  an- 
cestors, thus  drawing  sus- 
tenance  from  their   bones. 

The  pagoda  was  the  strik- 
ins:  feature  in  every  land- 
scape,  within  sight  of  which 
generation  after  generation 
were  born,  lived,  and  died, 
happy  in  the  thoughts  that 
they  had  never  been  beyond 
its  guardian  vision,  that  they 
had  worshiped  the  ancestral 
idols  in  each  of  its  stories 
— especially  those  in  the 
ninth  or  highest — and  that 
they  had  looked  once  each 
day  at  its  highest  balcony, 
prefiguring  their  hope  of  a  home  in  the  highest  heaven  after 
numerous  transmigrations  and  punishments  here  for  their 
evil  deeds. 

We  were  now  comins:  amonij  beino:s  who  lived  in  a  single 
spot — but  that  was  a  moving  spot — I  mean  the  occupants  of 
sampans.  In  this  boat,  ten  or  fifteen  feet  long  and  three  or 
four  feet  wide,  the  whole  family  resides ;  and  many  of  the 
children  never  set  foot  on  dry  land  until  they  have  entered 
on  their  "  teens."  AVhen  they  "  go  a  courting  "  they  simply 
step  to  another  one  of  the  myriads  of  boats  swarming  in  the 
river.  But  they  find  no  parlor  nor  any  piano — excepting  they 
tread  on  the  toes  of  squeaking  babies.  The  strictest  economy 
requires  every  inch  of  space  for  washing — though  little  of 
that  is  done — cooking,  eating  and  sleeping,  especially  if  the 
family  be  numerous. 

Near  the  centre  of  the  boat  there  is  a  curved  coverinof 
large  enough  to  shelter  five  or  six  persons,  but  so  low  tliat 
the  adults  liave  to  go  down  on  their  hands  and  knees  as  they 


202 


NO  BUOYS  FOR  GIRL-BABIES. 


enter.  It  was  an  interesting  sight  to  witness  the  father  and 
mother,  and  eight  or  ten  children,  gracefully  seated  round  a 
dish  of  lish  and  greens,  diving  into  it  like  so  many  greasy, 
yellow-faced  monkeys.  The  baby  has  no  cradle,  but  it  has 
the  floor  ;  and  a  bamboo  joint  is  tied  round  its  waist  so  that 
it  cannot  sink  when  it  falls  overboard  into  the  water.  I  have 
the  impression  that  this  buoy  is  attached  only  to  the  boy- 
babies,  for  girl-babies  are  considered  as  a  misfortune ;  and 
"they  are  so  unfortunate"  who  have  them. 


*'  ROCK  ME  TO  SLEEP  UOTHEB. ' 


Look  at  that  mother  with  a  child  strapped  upon  her  back, 
rocking  it  as  she  rows ;  or,  when  she  rapidly  skulls,  flapping 
its  head  from  side  to  side.  Thus  has  she  wearily  toiled  on 
from  day  to  day  and  from  year  to  year,  till  six  children  have 
climbed  down  from  her  shoulders  to  roll,  tumble,  frolic,  and 
thump  each  other  in  the  bow  of  the  sampan.  AVere  it  not  for 
her  garbless  and  guileless  progeny,  there  would  be  no  epochs 
in  her  life  for  noting  the  countless  number  of  times  she  has 
swung  her  monotonous  oar,  while  her  lazy  husband  impeded 
their  progress  by  cooling  his  feet  in  the  current  as  the  old 
homestead  floated  alonof. 

"We  became  interested  in  observing  the  junks  sailing  up  and 
down  the  river,  with  the  oblique  eyes  of  the  Chinese  sea-god 


A  FLOATING  POPULATION.  203 

painted  upon  tlieir  unwieldy  prows.  But  our  fears  were 
again  aroused  when  we  saw  small  cannons  pointing  at  us  from 
some  of  the  decks.  I  had  heard  of  the  scum  of  society,  and 
now  believed  I  had  actually  found  it  Hoating  on  these  waters. 
400,000  outcasts  were  here  engaged  in  fitting  up  piratical 
boats  to  infest  the  coasts  of  Asia ;  in  rearing  rats,  mice,  ducks, 
dogs,  and  other  animals  for  the  epicures  of  Canton;  or  in  float- 
ing out  swarms  of  females  to  entice  the  inmates  of  European 
and  American  vessels. 

"\Ve  were  now  approaching  the  great  commercial  city  with 
its  ten  or  fifteen  hundred  thousand  struggling  souls,  where, 
by  a  foreigner,  novelty  and  wonder  are  found  perched  npon 
every  object.  According  to  travelers  competent  to  judge. 
Canton,  located  upon  rising  ground  on  the  right  bank  of  the 
river,  presents,  as  it  is  being  approached,  the  most  imposing 
appearance  of  any  city  in  the  Orient.  We  could  readily 
believe  it.  What  did  we  see  ?  We  may  not  know  the  exact 
limits  of  a  tornado,  yet  all  recognize  that  something  mighty 
is  at  work  ;  so  we  knew  that  a  mighty  city  lay  off  to  our  north- 
west, although  we  could  not  apprehend  exactly  what  it  was. 
Yonder  among  the  tiled  roofs,  and  spires,  and  temples,  towered 
two  pagodas  as  if  keeping  eternal  watch  over  the  city  with 
its  thronging  myriads  below. 

The  sampan  owners  were  posted  in  regard  to  our  anchor- 
age in  the  middle  of  the  stream  and  were  on  the  lookout  for 
us.  As  our  vessel  neared  them,  a  shower  of  lariats  were  flung 
at  different  parts  of  the  steamer,  many  taking  efiect.  To  these 
lariats,  and  to  each  other,  clung  sampan  after  sampan,  until  a 
fleet  of  these  little  boats  was  being  towed  along  by  our  vessel, 
and  soon  we  all  came  to  a  halt. 

Then  began  a  crowding,  and  a  scrambling,  and  a  running 
into  each  other  of  these  small  boats,  each  trying  to  get  next  to 
our  vessel  to  secure  the  passengers,  which  would  have  seemed 
comical  to  a  brigade  of  clowns.  The  runners  were  soon  aboard, 
but  passed  by  the  Chinese  pilgrims  to  throw  the  full  force  of 
their  attack  upon  us.  Their  battalions  seemed  to  have  been 
recruited  from  the  gentler  sex — and  all  seemed  to  be  recruits 


204: 


WILDAIR  SURRENDERS. 


— SO  we  were  calm,  though  they  caught  us  by  the  hands  and 
tried  to  lead  us  away  as  prisoners.  Some  very  fine  Chinese 
ladies  drive  these  chariots  of  the  water ;  so  when  one  with 
captivating  looks  and  ways  seized  my  hand,  I  said  : — 

"  Caleb,  I'm  going  to  surrender." 

As  we  passed  over  several  other  sampans  to  reach  the  one 
presided  over  by  our  fair  enslaver,  others  of  the  same  sex  laid 
claim  to  honor  of  the  capture  by  attempting  to  march  us  off  by 
the  coat-tail,   and  seemed  likely  to  carry  a\vay  the  defences 


AN  ATTACK  IN  THE  REAR. 


of  our  modesty  if  they  did  not  ourselves ;  and  another  one 
ran  off  with  Caleb's  fan,  holding  it  up  as  a  trophy  of  victory 
to  lead  the  way.  "We  might  have  respected  her  claims  to  an 
interest  in  our  welfare  by  following  her,  had  we  been  at 
liberty ;  but  finding  that  tliose  in  the  rear  having  made  a 
serious  breach,  appeared  likely  to  carry  my  last  defences,  I 
opened  upon  them  with  my  heels  and  voice  in  such  an  ener- 
getic way  that  they  beat  a  hasty  retreat,  and  my  nearly  sun- 
dered coat  again  dropped  into  position. 

Our  original  captor,  the  bright  eyed  lass,  who  had  defended 
us  to  the  extent  of  her  power,  now  politely  led  us  forward  by 
the  arms  till  we  reached  her  boat,  assisted  us  to  enter  it,  and 
then  rowed  towards  a  prison  for  which  she  was  acting  as  a 
sort  of  scout.     Iler  father,  a  stupid  fellow,  was  lounging  upon 


:  OUR  BRIGHT-EYED  CAPTOR. 


205 


his  side  under  the  canopy  of  the  boat.  lie  vras  bare-footed, 
bare-headed,  and  grasped  in  his  sleep  the  opium  pipe  whose 
fumes  had  evidently  overcome  him,  so  that  a  package  of 
fire  crackers  exploded  at  his  feet  would  not  have  sufficed  to 
arouse  him.  We  thought  at  first  that  he  had  set  somethinor 
on  fire  as  smoke  arose  around  ns,  but  on  looking  for  the 


THK  GENTLE  KOWER. 


cause  thereof  we  discovered  an  idol  before  whicli  was  set  burn- 
ing incense-sticks  and  some  provisons. 

At  length  our  mermaid  safely  delivered  us  over  to  the 
custody  of  the  jailor — I  mean  a  Portuguese  hotel-keeper,  who 
tormented  us  awhile  with  his  Portuguese-English  largely  adul- 
terated with  Chinese,  and  after  dinner  undertook  the  task  of 
setting  us  to  punching  billiard  balls. 


CHAPTER  XXIT. 
THE  CHINESE  METROPOLIS. 

WHEN  a  man  settles  down  among  a  lot  of  people  five 
thousand  years  old,  he  is  apt  to  feel  so  juvenile  as  to 
adopt  many  of  their  customs.  I  became  acquainted  with 
some  foreign  residents  of  Canton  who,  unwilling  to  appear 
to  set  themselves  up  as  better  than  or  different  from  their 
neighbors,  had  each  purchased  a  pretty  Chinese  girl,  and  in 
a  joint  stock  sort  of  a  way  boarded  them  ail  together  at  a  hotel 
just  out  of  the  city.  There  were  in  all  seven  Chinese  girls, 
wuth  thirteen  improvements  on  the  maternal  stock  whose  ac- 
quaintance with  the  English  and  Chinese  languages  will 
perhaps,  at  some  future  day,  be  of  benefit  to  the  commercial 
world.  "When  I  saw  the  little  semi-celestials  they  were  en- 
gaged in  "  playing  horse,"  and  had  utilized  their  pigtails  for 
the  occasion.  One  of  them  climbed  on  my  knee  and  called 
me  papa ! 

These  children  were  happy,  their  mothers  were  contented, 
and  their  fathers  were  testing  a  new  feature  of  the  social  evil 
on  the  co-operative  plan,  at  an  annual  expense,  I  was  informed, 
of  about  one  thousand  dollars,  exclusive  of  the  first  cost  of  the 
females  which  would  be  about  five  hundred  dollars  each.  I 
was  curious  to  know  how  these  gentlemen's  lawful  M'ives 
liked  this  sort  of  thing  ;  but  strange  to  say  we  found  on  in- 
quiring that  it  was  a  subject  not  often  spoken  of  at  home.  So 
these  martyrs  to  improvement  secretly  conduct  their  co-oper- 
ative industry  without  the  smiles  of  women  of  their  own 
nationality.     We  thought  it  a  trifle  selfish  in  them  not  to  tell 

206 


CONNOISSEURS  OF  CHINESE  BEAUTY. 


2or 


their  wives;  but  theirs  alone  be  the    glory  and  theirs  the 
shame. 

The  natives  of  this  country  will  generally  sell  you  anything 
they  possess  in  this  world — or  the  next — if  you  otler  them 
enough.     They  decoy  you  under  the  most  childish  pretences 


IMPROVEMENTS    ON   THE    RACE. 

into  their  dens,  and  then  offer  the  whole  family  to  you,  one 
by  one,  stating  the  price  of  each.  If  you  are  a  Chinaman  you 
cannot  get  a  sight  of  the  party  you  think  of  buying;  but  if 
comparatively  youthful  and  possessed, of  plenty  of  money, 
a  man  not  to  the  manor  born  has  an  opportunity  of  examining 
his  purchase  before  paying  for  it.  When  a  father  finds  one 
of  his  daughters  blooming  into  beautiful  womanhood,  he  hies 
him  to  the  foreign  quarter  and  beguiles  some  connoisseur  in 
females  to  invest  from  three  to  six  hundred  dollars  therein. 
This  does  not  look  quite  right  to  us,  but  it  may  fifty  cen- 
turies hence;  I  hope  it  will  not  any  sooner. 

The  foreign  suburbs  of  the  city  is  comprised  of  about  four 

is 


208 


FOREIGN  LADIES  IN  CANTON. 


acres  ]ying  west  of  the  wall,  and  just  back  from  the  river. 
A  part  of  this  is  laid  out  in  beautiful  walks,  and  planted 
with  flowers,  shrubs  and  grass ;  the  remainder  is  covered 
■with  fine  dwellings,  factories,  and  stores,  from  the  roofs  of 
which  flutter  the  flags  of  several  nationalities. 

We  noticed  that  American  and  Eno:lish  women  do  not  seem 
to  thrive  well  in  this  climate.  They  look  unnaturally  pale, 
yet  they  are  seldom  really  sick.  They  seem  to  be  too  Aveak 
to  walk  ;  but  perhaps  the  contrast  between  foreign  and  native 
ladies  makes  them  appear  more  delicate  than  they  are.  The 
Chinese  ladies,  when  in  full  feather,  put  such  an  extravagant 
amount  of  paint  on  their  faces,  as  to  completely  change  their 


A  FIRST  CLASS  RAT-SELLER. 


appearance  and  make  them  resemble  dolls.  This  is  no  fiction. 
I  wonder  they  have  any  vermilion  to  export,  so  generally  is 
it  used  and  in  such  quantities. 

One  night,  during  the  celebration  of  a  festival,  we  visited 
a  floating  city,  made  by  fastening  thousands  of  small  boats 


A  FLOATING  CITY. 


200 


together  and  placing  boards  from  one  to  the  other.  Our 
landlord  went  with  us  in  his  sampan,  or  we  should  never  have 
ventured  through  the  endless  maze  of  restaurants  and  shops 
of  every  kind  which,  lighted  up  by  lanterns  of  all  colors,  ap- 
peared more  like  some  glittering  theatrical  show  than  real 
life.  Here  in  all  his  glory  was  the  rat  peddler,  delicately  exhib- 
iting his  rodents,  and  soliciting  customers,  while  im))ecunious 
celestials  gazed  with  longing  at  the  dainty  morsels,  which 
could  be  bought  alive,  if  suspicions  of  their  anti(piity  haunted 
the  customer;  but  live  ones  were  high  in  price,  and  buyers  did 
not  appear  to  regard  decomposition  as  an  unfavorable  adjunct. 
In  one  of  the  saloons  where  we  stopped,  1  had  some  conver- 
sation of  a  very  entertaining  kind  with  a  young  woman.  She 
spoke  Chinese  ;  I  English.  I  was  pleased  with  her  remarks, 
and  smiled  approval;  she  reciprocated  as  far  as  she  was  able. 
What  might  have  been  the  result  of  our  interview,  had  it  been 
prolonged,  1  cannot  say  ;  but  just  as  we  were  in  the  midst  of 
a  discussion,  1  was  invited  by  our  guide  to  accompany  him  on 
a  voyage  of  discovery  further  into  the  interior,  and  had  to 
leave  abruptly. 


THE  GUTTER  SNIPE. 


There  was  a  class  of  persons  roaming  about  the  floating 
dwellings,  who  are  worthy  of  mention  from  their  saving  ])ro- 
clivities.     A  Chinaman  is  a  wonder  of  economy,  particularly 


210  A  RIDE  ABOUT  CANTON. 

if  he  is  poor ;  still  there  must  be  a  waste  somewhere,  or  how 
could  the  class  I  refer  to  exist?  They  are  met  everywhere, 
plying  their  vocation  with  an  amusing  indifference  to  every 
thing  else.  What  in  the  world  they  found  worth  picking  up 
and  carrying  off  we  could  not  imagine. 

I  shall  never  forget  our  lirst  ride  through  the  streets  of 
Canton,  when  all  was  new  and  novel.  We  had  procured  a 
Chinese  guide,  and  three  chairs,  with  four  coolies  to  each. 
We  started  with  the  guide  in  front ;  sometimes  Caleb  was 
second,  but  generally  I  was.  I  wanted  to  be  in  the  middle, 
you  see,  so  that  I  could  show  my  bravery.  Were  we  to  be 
attacked  in  the  front,  or  rear,  I  should  be  ready  to  assist 
at  either  end. 

We  were  carried  for  hours  through  innumerable  winding 
streets,  only  live  or  six  feet  wide  and  covered  over  at  the  top 
to  keep  out  the  hot  sun.  The  rocky  pavements  were  damp 
and  slippery  from  the  proximity  of  sewers.  The  trash,  and  dirt 
of  the  city  with  all  its  produce  and  merchandise,  were  carried 
to  and  fro,  as  in  a  pair  of  scales,  upon  the  shoulders  of  men. 
Our  chairmen  continually  hallooed  to  the  noisy  thi'ong, 
warning  them  to  hug  the  walls  as  we  passed ;  and  teeming 
myriads  of  people  from  their  numberless  little  shops,  looked 
out  and  stared  at  us.  Pig-tailed  boys  pressed  their  way  among 
their  pig-tailed  sires,  and  children  Avere  as  ants  struggling 
among  the  inmates  of  a  bee-hive.  During  a  Avhole  day  we 
never  saw  a  human  being  except  these  half  civilized  Orientals. 
We  lost  our  bearings  entirely  and  almost  our  individual  iden- 
tity, and  seemed  to  be  moving  in  a  new  and  strange  world. 

At  times  we  dismounted  from  our  chairs,  and  visited  the 
shops  near  by.  Or  again  the  guide  would  send  the  chairmen 
off  down  a  street  without  us,  and  then  lead  us  along  narrow 
foot-paths  where  not  even  the  chairs  could  pass,  to  visit  shops 
faraway  in  the  interior  of  a  block,  or  round  a  court  or  under 
a  corridor.  Emerging  at  length,  we  knew  not  where,  we  always 
found  our  chairmen  waiting  for  us  at  the  designated  place. 
"  Out  West,"  a  cat  when  blindfolded,  taken  miles  into  the 


A    CU\  KJiKK    >lliKKI     tiF    (  A.NTON. 


INDUSTRIES  OF  THE  GREAT  CITY.  213 

woods,  and  turned  loose,  will  find  its  way  home  again.  These 
cliainneu  seemed  to  be  equally  sagacious. 

Here  and  there  and  everywhere  were  bright  ornaments 
and  curious  trinkets;  aTid  vast  quantities  of  porcelain  or 
Chinaware.  We  passed  through  buildings  where  were  being 
stored  millions  of  geese'  and  hens'  eggs,  for  transportation  to 
different  parts  of  Asia.  There  were  many  shops  where 
ivory,  silver,  and  gold  were  carved  into  card-cases,  boxes, 
images,  and  various  strange  and  beautiful  figures,  a  few 
of  which  we  bought  as  mementoes  of  our  visit.  The  most 
remarkable  of  these  was  an  ivory  ball  containing  eight  or 
ten  smaller  ones,  one  inside  another,  and  all  carved  from 
the  same  piece  of  ivory.  Each  of  these,  as  far  in  as  we 
could  see  by  shaking  them  about,  was  covered  with  beautiful 
fiirurcs.  It  seems  wonderful  how  these  inner  balls  were 
reached  to  be  thus  touched  into  exquisite  design. 

The  Chinese  lacquered  ware  is  much  the  same  as  the  Japan- 
ese japanned  ware.  Occasionally  we  watched  as  the  finishing 
touch  was  being  given.  "When  the  box  or  other  article  has 
received  numerous  coats  of  varnish,  the  last  few  being  of  the 
finest  quality  so  that  the  surface  shines  like  a  looking  glass, 
they  take  a  piece  of  paper  which  has  been  flowered  and  figured 
by  the  piercings  of  a  needle-point,  and  placing  it  upon  the 
box  rub  a  white  powder  over  its  surface.  Then  with  a  pencil 
dipped  in  varnish,  the  design  is  run  out  as  indicated  by  the 
powder.  While  this  penciling  is  still  moist,  gold-dust  is 
rubbed  over  to  gild  the  figure.  Finally,  the  whole  is  touched 
over  with  a  light  varnish,  and  the  surface  has  then  become 
exquisitely  beautiful. 

The  Chinese  weave  their  silks  in  looms,  throwing  the  shut- 
tle just  as  our  own  countrywomen  used  to  do  years  ago ;  but 
to  me  it  was  surprising  that  they  could  do  such  nice  work  by 
this  process.  With  all  their  manufactories  and  facilities  the 
Americans  and  Europeans  cannot  equal  the  Chinese  in  the 
manufacture  of  the  superior  qualities  of  silk. 

Did  you  ever  visit  a  penitentiary  ?  If  so,  doutless  you  saw 
criminals  who  were  imprisoned  for  life,  from  whose  counte- 


214 


THE  CANQUE  AND  BASTINADO. 


nance  all  the  light  of  hope  had  disappeared  ;  no  more  were  they 
to  enjoy  the  smiles  of  friends,  or  the  endearments  of  home ; 
nevermore  to  come  and  go  at  will,  never  more  to  be  free.  But 
this  is  a  humane  mode  of  punishment  as  compared  with  the 
methods  adopted  by  the  Chinese.     We  passed  men  who,  as  a 


POKING    FCN    AT   HIM. 


punishment  for  stealing,  were  wearing  the  canque — a  broad 
heavy  board  for  the  neck — and  chained  at  the  door  wliere  the 
crime  had  been  committed ;  while  the  boys  of  the  neighborhood 
amused  themselves  by  tantalizing  them — even  poking  sticks 
into  their  ears  to  make  them  squirm.  Occasionally  we  saw 
a  man  undergoing  the  bastinado.  He  was  dragged  down  upon 
the  ground,  while  his  countrymen  piled  upon  him  to  thump 
and  beat  their  victim.  They  seemed  to  look  upon  this  as 
sport  too,  and  engaged  in  it  with  a  joy  akin  to  that  of  gamb- 

At  the  police-stations  and  prisons  we  noticed  several  men 
in  cages.     Sometimes  their  heads  were  stuck  through  the  sides 


INHUMAN  PUNISHMENTS. 


215 


or  out  at  the  top  in  such  a  manner  as  to  ohh'ge  them  to  stand 
day  after  day  on  tip  toe.  In  other  instances  they  were  fixed 
in  a  bending  position,  unable  either  to  kneel  or  to  stand  up- 
right. We  even  saw  one  victim  hanging  by  his  feet  with 
blood-shot  eyes  and  distorted  features.  Upon  his  noticing 
us  he  seemed  to  revive.  We  could  see  it  in  the  expression  of 
his  features,  though  we  could  not  understand  his  words.     He 


THEY    SEKMED    TO    LIKE    IT. 


had  entreated  his  countrymen  in  vain  ;  now  he  thought  that 
we  might  be  able  to  assist  him.  We  could  not  endure  his  en- 
treaties, and  as  we  withdrew  he  shrieked  with  agony  and 
despair  till  our  blood  ran  cold. 

Through  a  cheerless  street  we  went  to  visit  the  place  of 
public  executions.  It  was  a  dark  gloomy  spot  surrounded  by 
a  stone  wall,  where  the  heads  of  men  are  severed  by  dozens 
at  a  time.  Often  delays  are  made  that  a  number  may  be 
executed  together. 


216  ON  TEE  WALL  OF  CHINA. 

During  our  stay  in  Canton  we  ascended  the  wall  in  the 
rear  of  the  city,  to  obtain  a  view.  At  the  top,  and  on  the 
outer  edge  of  the  wall,  was  a  rim,  five  or  six  feet  high,  and 
about  the  same  in  thickness,  pierced  with  port-holes  for 
small  cannon,  while  inside  of  this  rim  was  a  line  promen- 
ade. From  tliis  elevation  the  two  great  pagodas,  the  spires 
of  the  temple,  and  the  red  flag-poles  in  front  of  the  manda- 
rins' dwellings,  showed  to  good  advantage ;  but  it  was  almost 
impossible  to  distinguish  the  streets,  as  they  were  narrow, 
and  covered  over  so  as  to  entirely  conceal  from  view  the 
crowds  who  thronged  them. 

From  the  highest  part  of  the  wall  the  country  northward 
presented  a  scene  of  beauty  and  novelty.  It  was  a  far- 
reaching  plain  covered  with  broad  fields  of  rice,  studded  with 
groves  of  small  trees  and  innumerable  villages,  and  silvered 
by  winding  streams,  which  were  tapped  at  short  intervals  by 
countless  irrigating  channels,  forming  a  net-work  of  water 
communication  unequaled  in  any  other  country.  Along 
these  watery  veins  M^ere  thousands  of  junks,  whose  gilded 
masts  seemed  to  walk  through  the  land,  and  were  mingled 
with  the  spires  of  the  pagodas  that  stood,  one  beyond  another, 
reachinij  to  the  horizon. 

It  was  toward  evening  when  we  stood  upon  the  wall,  and 
the  views  of  the  city  and  the  world  around  were  so  inter- 
esting that  we  tarried  long,  almost  forgetting  that  we  were 
several  miles  from  our  hotel.  As  we  passed  down  through 
the  walled  city,  night  came  on,  and  darkness  prevailed  in 
the  narrow  streets.  The  dim  lights  glared  into  the  faces  of 
those  within  the  shops,  and  we  passed  by  ghostly  forms 
between  the  close  walls.  We  knew  that  Cantonese  had 
murdered  many  a  European  ;  and  that  of  all  the  Chinese,  they 
probably  were  the  most  hostile  to  foreigners:  and  the  thought 
did  not  reassure  us. 

Our  passage  through  the  city  was  very  tedious,  and  seemed 
to  occupy  many  hours;  we  hurried  our  men,  as  we  knew  it 
was  the  custom  to  close  the  gates  at  8  o'clock.  It  was  now 
past  that  hour,  and  half  an  hour  more  elapsed  before  we 


LOCKED  WITHIN  THE  GATES. 


217 


reached    the  grim  iron  barrier  that  prevented  our    egress. 
The  gates  were  closed,  and  we  were  locked  in. 

We  were  most  anxious  to  get  out,  and  urged  tlie  guide  to 
do  his  best  to  pass  us  through  the  gates,  for  ^ve  feared  that 
violence  would  be  offered  to  us  if  we  remained  where  we 


"the    GUIM    IRON    BARKIER    PREVENTED    OLR    EGREfcS.' 


were  long,  as  no  European  is  allowed  to  remain  witliin  the 
walls  after  the  gates  are  closed  for  the  night.  The  guide 
went  to  find  the  gate-keeper,  while  the  crowd  stood  staring' 
at  us.  We  almost  expected  every  moment  that  they  would 
fall  upon  us,  if  only  for  the  sake  of  our  money,  which  would 
have  afforded  them  a  fine  feast  for  a  few  days.  Before  long, 
however,  relief  came.  The  gaping  throng  parted — our  guide 
had  returned ;  and,  better  still,  he  had  found  the  gate-keeper, 
who  after  a  little  persuasion  opened  the  gate,  and  we  passed 
through,  glad  to  leave  behind  us  those  gloomy  walls  and  the 
ugly  crowd  within  them. 


CHAPTER  XXIIL 
AMONG  THE  "GODS." 

ONE  morning,  while  wandering  along  one  of  the  principal 
streets,  we  noticed  that  a  great  crowd  of  people  had 
gathered  round  a  certain  large  box,  in  which  thej  seemed  to 
take  great  interest.  The  scene  reminded  us  of  election  day 
in  America;  so  we  formed  in  line  and  advanced  towards  the 
box,  but  on  drawing  near  were  startled  to  behold  within  it 
what  appeared  to  be  a  corpse.  Looking  closer  we  saw  that 
the  creature — wliatever  it  was — was  alive,  for  its  glaring  eyes 
were  fixed  upon  us  with  a  horrible  expression,  and  riveted  us 
to  the  spot.  The  idea  at  once  flashed  across  our  minds— the 
inmate  of  that  box  was  a  criminal,  or  had  offended  the 
authorities.  He  might  be  innocent,  but  we  could  not  help 
him  ;  so  with  a  word  of  pity  we  passed  on. 

Returning  later  in  the  day  we  found  that  the  throng  had 
vastly  increased;  and  soon  after  our  arrival  the  padlocks 
were  unloosed  from  the  box,  and  the  man  removed  from  the 
iron  spikes  which  had  penetrated  and  lacerated  his  swollen 
feet.  At  this  sight  the  feelings  of  the  crowd  became  intense, 
and  the  box  was  broken  up  and  sold  as  relics  ;  pieces  of  the 
bottom,  in  which  were  the  nails,  bringing  large  prices. 

AVe  took  special  pains  to  inquire  into  the  meaning  of  this 

scene,  and  were  informed  that  a  priest  from   some  distant 

citv,  having  been  unsuccessful  in  raising  money  to  build  a 

temple,  had  a  few  days  since  shut  himself  up  in  this  manner 

as  a  means  of  procuring  the  funds. 

On  the  whole  we  were  not  favorably  impressed  with  the 

218 


THE  CUIXESE  RELIGION. 


219 


religion  of  the  Cliinese.  The  scorpions,  dragons,  serpents, 
lions,  and  other  animals,  ranged  upon  the  curving  eaves  and 
roofs  of  their  temple  s, 
awakened  a  feeling  of  hor- 
ror rather  than  devotion  ; 
while  the  burning  of 
incense-sticlcs  before  scores 
of  idols  in  the  darkness 
within  cast  gloom  over  the 
mind,  which  was  deepened 
by  the  monotonous  music 
and  the  continual  beating 
of  tom-toms  by  the  priests 
as  they  recited  their  incan- 
tations. At  times  these 
priests  wandered  vacantly 
about  in  their  long  gowns, 
above  which  projected  as 
many  closely-shaven  heads, 
on  which  grew  not  a  single 
hair ;  indeed  their  principal 
property  seemed  to  consist  of  razors.  They  manifested  great 
interest  in  showing  us  that  they  were  not  too  poor  to  own 
an  alms-bowl ;  but  they  did  not  importune  us  for  a  donation, 
as  almsgiving  is  considered  to  be  a  greater  blessing  to  the 
giver  than  to  the  recipient.  1  imagined  that  they  passed 
their  lives  in  celibacy,  as  they  were  all  well-provided  with 
needle  and  thread  as  if  for  an  emergency. 

Tiie  most  cheerful  sight  we  witnessed  was  the  bringing  in, 
by  the  patrons  of  the  temple,  of  some  roast  fowls  and  pigs, 
which  were  waved  before  the  idols  by  the  priest.  A  very  small 
part  thereof  was  then  burnt  as  incense;  and  the  remainder 
was  set  before  the  idols  to  satisfy  their  appetites  until 
the  priests  became  hungry,  which  they  were  before  long; 
for  as  we  passed  out,  we  noticed  them  in  an  adjoining  room 
enjoying  a  feast  of  fat  things. 

This  absurd  farce  on  the  part  of  the  priests  was  not  so 


THE    MYSTERIOUS   BOX. 


220 


ANCESTRAL  WORSHIP. 


ridicnlons.as  a  custom  that  the  people  have  of  burning  before 
the  statues  and  pictures  or  at  the  tombs  of  their  ancestors, 
paper  representations  of  hats,  shoes,  garments,  money  etc., 

which  they  purchase  at  a 
high  price  from  the  priests, 
imagining  that  their  ances- 
tors, who  are  now  gods, 
will  kindly  give  them 
credit  for  the  real  articles. 
We  noticed,  too,  that  by 
far  the  larger  number  of 
sacrifices  were  offered  to 
the  gods  of  evil,  in  the 
hope  of  appeasing  their 
wrath ;  the  favor  of  the 
good  gods  being  consid- 
ered as  a  matter  of  course. 
The  followine:  is  an  exam- 


1 


ile 


PRIEST    WITH    ALMS-BOWL. 


Upon  inquiring  the 
reason  why  a  number  of 
people  were  burning 
incense  on  the  pathway,  we  were  informed  that  on  that 
spot  somebody  had  tripped  his  foot  and  had  smashed  a 
basket  of  eggs.  At  once  the  place  where  the  eggs  were 
broken  was  supposed  to  be  the  abode  of  an  evil  spirit  whose 
wrath  must  be  appeased  by  incense  or  even  by  sacrifice. 
"VVe  suggested  that  the  unlucky  owner  of  the  eggs  should 
have  offered  a  basket  of  those  articles  in  a  stale  condition  as 
the  most  appropriate  incense  for  an  evil  spirit.  But  a 
Chinaman  would  never  do  that,  or  anything  else,  unless  his 
ancestors  had  done  exactly  the  same  thing.  Those  ancestors 
were  great  people  according  to  their  ideas.  In  the  temples 
we  saw  the  bronze  statues  of  many  of  them ;  they  were 
fifteen  or  twenty  feet  high,  and  sitting  at  that.  Their  size 
was  in  proportion  to  their  position  in  life  and  the  estimation 
in  which  their  descendants  held  them. 


BUDDHISM. 


221 


"We  observed  a  Cliinaman  approaching  one  of  these 
images  upon  all  fours,  rapping  his  shaved  head  frequently 
against  the  floor.  This  particuhar  ancestor  had  rather  a  long 
nose,  and  carried  his  trunk  with  him ;  he  was,  in  fact,  a  fac- 
simile of  a  Buddhist  god. 

Tlie  Chinese  religion  is  a  little  mixed.  Ancestral  worship 
and  the  Buddhism  of  India 
are  so  joined  tliat  it  is  diffi- 
cult to  tell  whether  it  is  one 
of  his  ancestors  or  an  ele- 
phant that  a  Chinaman  wor- 
shij)S.  The  white  elephant 
i3  very  sacred  to  Buddhists, 
They  believe  that  innu- 
merable Buddhas  have 
appeared  from  time  to  time 
to  save  the  world,  and 
that  finally  Buddha  Sakya-  \  ^ 
muni  descended  from 
heaven  as  a  white  elephant 
m  the  sixth  century  b.  c,  took  the  form  of  a  man,  and 
at  once  solemnly  proclaimed  his  mission. 

Buddhism  in  India  arose  in  opposition  to  the  much  older 
worship  of  Brahma,  which  divided  the  people  into  castes — a 
system  which  at  that  time  had  become  almost  intolerable. 
Many  bloody  struggles  resulted  from  the  introduction  of  the 
new  religion — Buddhism — which,  however,  continued  to  gain 
the  ascendancy  until  it  became  the  established  religion  of  the 
country.  Alexander's  invasion  of  the  far  East  gave  a  great 
impulse  to  its  spread,  and  about  a.  d.  GG,  it  was  introduced 
into  China,  and  by  degress  spread  over  the  Orient,  carrying 
the  civilization  of  India  to  manv  a  savac^o  tribe,  and  amono: 
others  to  the  inhabitants  of  the  island  of  Japan.  Buddhism 
did  much  towards  abolishing  caste  ;  and  in  this  sense,  at  least, 
it  proved  itself  a  blessing  wherever  it  was  introduced. 

But  by-and-by  there  came  a  reaction,  and  in  the  seventh 
century  of  the  Christian  era,  Buddhism  was  rapidly  losing 


A   LONG-NOSED     ANCESTOR. 


222  SACRED  SWIXE. 

ground  in  India,  and  many  of  its  temples  vrere  crumbling  to 
ruin.  A  century  later,  and  it  was  almost  entirely  extermina- 
ted, and  the  laws  of  caste  under  Bralimanism  re-enacted  more 
rigorously  than  ever;  but  in  the  Island  of  Ceylon,  lying  imme- 
diately to  the  south  of  India,  Buddhism  has  maintained  a 
stronghold  even  to  this  day. 

The  essence  of  Buddha's  teachings  was  that  all  is  deception 
and  illusion  save  spirit  and  mind ;  and  that  the  final  object  of 
man  is  to  be  delivered  from  all  pain  and  illuf ion.  This  is  to 
be  gradually  accomplished  by  dispelling  every  passion  from 
the  mind — even  the  desire  of  existence.  After  death,  this  re- 
fining process  will  give  the  soul  birth  in  a  more  refined  body, 
and  by  continuing  to  tame  the  passions  and  by  contemplating 
the  good  and  true  in  the  vastnessof  the  abstract,  the  soul  will 
be  finally  delivered  from  illusion,  and  from  all  further  change 
by  being  merged  into  God. 

Among  the  Chinese,  swine  are  held  sacred,  and  worshiped. 
In  an  enclosure  connected  with  a  temple  we  saw  two  large 
wliite  sows,  kept  for  that  purpose.  They  Mere  fat,  clean 
and  thrifty,  and  on  the  whole,  seemed  to  be  respectable  beasts.  M 
They  were  also  intelligent ;  for  when  the  Chinese  bowed  and  I 
made  signs  of  worship  before  them,  sometimes  even  going 
down  on  all  fours,  the  animals  grunted  as  if  in  approval. 

"When  a  boy  in  the  wilds  of  Western  Iowa,  I  knew  a  swine 
of  the  gentle  sex  that  would  have  stood  no  such  tomfoolery. 
I  used  to  plague  her  sometimes  when  she  was  in  her  pen,  but 
she  never  seemed  to  like  it.  On  one  occasion  while  she  was 
asleep,  I  reached  through  a  crack  of  the  pen  and  pulled  the  tail 
of  one  of  her  offspring  until  it  squealed.  As  she  sprang  up 
and  towards  me,  I  withdrew  my  hand,  but  that  didn't  satisfy 
her.  She  reared  up  against  the  side  of  the  pen,  and,  giving 
a  terrible  spring,  was  over  and  after  me  before  I  could  get  far 
away  in  the  direction  of  the  house.  She  gained  on  me,  and 
was  right  at  my  heels,  when  just  in  the  nick  of  time  I  saved 
myself  by  jumping  into  a  friendly  wagon  M-hich  stood  in  my 
path.  Baffied  thus,  she  stood  gazing  at  me  for  a  while  with 
frothing  mouth  and  standing  bristles,  and  then  trotted  peace- 


THE  GOD  OF  LONGEVITY. 


223 


ably  back  toward  her  pen.     Tlie  moral  was  not  lost  on  me, 
and  I  never  again  ventured  to  pull  the  tails  of  the  pigs. 


A    PIG-TAIL    EXCITMENT. 


In  one  costly  temple,  entered  only  by  the  wealthy,  the  chief 
Btatue  was  an  impersonation  of  longevity.  Ilound  the  altar 
of  this  gigantic  god  were  ranged  numerous  votive  ofi'erings 
inscribed  with  the  names  of  wealthy  citizens,  who  had  placed 
these  costly  tokens  here  to  amuse  the  god  and  secure  to  them- 
selves long  life.  Our  Chinese  guide  politely  bowed,  suiiled, 
and  courteously  wished  us  the  blessings  of  this  god  and  a  safe 
return  home.  lie  was  a  sensible  man  and  a  kind  one  too  ;  for 
he  told  our  fortunes  though  we  had  made  no  donation  either 
to  him  or  "  Longevity."  Having  taken  a  box  into  his  liands 
containing  a  score  or  more  of  nicely-painted  sticks,  he  shook 
them  until  one  fell  upon  the  floor.  This  betook  to  a  priest 
who,  glancing  at  the  characters  painted  upon  it,  referred  to 
the  similar  Hgurcs  in  his  Chinese  bible,  and  thus  read  our 
fortunes,  which  were  duly  translated  to  us  by  the  guide. 


224 


TEMPLE  OF  THE  DRAGON". 


A  man  is  always  considered  fortunate  "when  he  bnjs  one  of 
tliese  oracular  boxes.  On  the  pavement  opposite  onr  Lotel 
sat  a  man  engaged  in  selling  them,  and  ever  into  onr  window 
came  the  dull  dead  sound  of  the  pegs  striking  against  the 
sides  of  the  box  as  he  shook  it  to  attract  customers.  Occasion- 
ally some  one,  tired  of  life,  or  out  of  employment,  halted  to  have 
his  fortune  told,  imagining  probably  that  the  fates  could  nuike 
it  no  worse ;  at  any  rate  he  was  willing  to  risk  a  penny  on 
the  chances. 

We  visited  tlie  "  Temple  of  the  Dragon ;  "  before  its  horri- 
ble image,  parties  entering  into  mutual  contracts  burn  copies 
of  their  agreements  seasoned  with  incense.  Chinamen,  like 
other  men,  are  sharper  in  business  than  in  anything  else;  so 
they  have  a  living  snake  as  a  witness,  lest  the  dragon  with 
eyes  of  bronze  should  fail  to  see  their  engagements,  or  prove 
forgetful  of  them.  They  are  not  always  very  polite  to  their 
gods ;  for  on  one  occasion  when  there  was  a  great  drought,  they 
dragged  the  god  of  agriculture  out  of  his  temple  and  over  the 
parched  sands,  in  hopes  of  moving  his  conscience  ;  but  to  no 
purpose — their  god  was  as  helpless  as  themselves. 


SPECIME^■S    OF    CHINESE    ARCHITECTUKE. 


I 


CHAPTER  XXIY. 
THE  EMPIRE  OF  THE  CELESTIALS. 

THE  Chinese  Empire  comprises  nearly  one-tenth  of  the 
habitable  globe  and  supports  two-fifths  of  its  entire 
population.  The  surface  of  the  country  is  varied,  being 
generally  rough  and  uneven  near  the  coast,  but  soon  becoming 
more  level  inland.  Towards  the  interior  it  again  becomes 
imeven,  and  finally  rises  in  the  background  into  the  snow- 
capped peaks  of  the  Yun-ling.  Timber  is  scarce  in  the  more 
populated  districts,  as  large  forests  are  found  only  on  the 
mountains ;  yet  the  trash  picked  up  here  and  there,  together 
with  the  groves  that  are  grown,  and  the  beds  of  coal  that  are 
worked  in  many  places  in  the  empire,  afford  the  people  a 
sufficiency  of  fuel. 

Some  of  the  finest  rivers  in  the  world  are  to  be  found  in 
this  country.  These  afford  good  facilities  for  inland  naviga- 
tion, and  the  same  may  be  said  of  the  numberless  canals  that 
are  used  for  the  double  purpose  of  navigation  and  irrigation. 
No  people  understand  the  excavation  and  working  of  arti- 
ficial canals  and  irrigation  better  than  the  Chinese.  The 
Imperial  Canal, — the  largest  in  the  world — connects  Pekin, 
the  capital,  with  Hang-chow ;  it  is  seven  hundred  miles  long 
and  from  two  hundred  to  a  thousand  feet  wide.  In  some 
places  it  ia  carried  over  low  regions  between  thick  and  high 
embankments.  The  tow-path  is  also  carried  over  many 
smaller  canals,  by  means  of  bridges ;  and  from  these  smaller 
canals  extend  numerous  arms  or  branches,  until  at  length 
they  form  a  complete  net-work  of  navigable  highways,  or  of 
smaller  streams  for  the  purposes  of  irrigation. 
U  225 


226  CANALS  AND  INLAND  COMMERCE. 

The  inland  commerce  of  China  is  immense.  It  is  carried 
on  almost  exclusively  by  means  of  this  great  net-work  of 
canals,  and  is  supposed  by  some  to  equal  that  of  all  other 
nations  combined.  Her  foreign  commerce,  although  insig- 
nificant in  comparison  to  her  iulaud,  amounts  to  about  one 
hundred  million  dollars  annually,  and  might  be  many  times 
increased  were  not  the  exclusiv^e  policy  so  pertinaciously 
clung  to  by  the  government.  The  principal  articles  of  export 
are  tea,  silk,  both  manufactured  and  raw,  nankeen  cloth,  and 
mats ;  besides  some  minor  articles  such  as  fans,  fire-crackers, 
eea-shells,  gold-leaf,  etc.  Her  principal  imports  are  opium, 
rice,  raw  cotton,  cotton  fabrics,  tin,  lead,  and  iron ;  besides 
jewels  from  India,  and  birds'  nests,  as  an  article  of  food, 
from  the  Indian  Archipelago. 

The  Mexican  silver  dollar  is  the  principal  coin  of  China, 
and  they  seldom  pass  out  of  the  country  when  once  there, 
it  being  the  policy  of  the  government  to  retain  them.  To 
this  end  they  are  bored  full  of  peculiar  holes,  which  are  a  kind 
of  official  stamp.  No  paper-money  is  in  circulation,  and  they 
have  no  gold  or  silver  coin  of  their  own.  The  gold  and 
silver  coins  of  England  and  America  are  current,  and  all 
kinds  of  money  can  be  exchanged  at  the  offices  of  the  princi- 
pal brokers.  They  have  a  brass  coin  of  their  own,  the  value 
of  which  is  about  one-eighth  of  a  cent.  It  has  a  large  square 
hole  in  the  centre  that  it  may  be  strung  on  a  grass  string  and 
carried  on  the  arm. 

The  form  of  government  is  monarchical,  yet  strongly 
tinctured  with  the  despotic.  It  is  true  the  emperor  is  bound 
by  certain  ancient  laws  and  customs  which  he  could  not 
disregard  without  danger,  nor  could  he  totally  disregard  the 
remonstrances  of  his  ministers ;  yet  his  subjects  must  bow 
themselves,  ko-tow,  or  knock  their  heads  nine  times  against 
the  ground,  and  literally  creep  in  the  dust  whenever  they 
approach  him.  When  he  appears  in  public  he  is  preceded 
by  two  thousand  constables,  and  surrounded  by  a  large  body- 
guard of  live  thousand  chamberlains — eunuchs,  of  course — 
who  are  connected  with  his  palace.     It  is  customary  for  the 


THE  EMPEROR  AND  HIS  WIVES. 


227 


emperor  to  have  one  legitimate  wife,  two  inferior  ones,  and 
as  many  concubines  as  he  may  desire.  The  retinue  of  con- 
cubines belonging  to  the  present  incumbent  is  not  yet  very 
great.  lie  succeeded  his  father  in  18G1,  when  a  small 
boy;  was  married  in  1872,  and  passed  from  under  the  united 
guardianship  of  his  uncle,  mother  and  aunt,  ou  the  1st  of 
February,  1873. 


BEFORE  THE  THRONE. 


The  emperor  selects  from  among  the  sons  of  his  three  wives 
the  person  he  desires  to  be  his  successor,  but  keeps  his  choice  a 
secret  until  his  death,  lest  the  favored  one  should  become 
reckless,  and  unworthy.  The  other  descendants  of  the  emper- 
or fall  lower  and  lower  in  the  scale  of  nobility  until  the 
seventh.  Then  they  lose  the  title  of  prince,  are  classed  among 
the  masses  at  large,  and  of  course  are  not  supported  by  the 
national  revenues.  However,  there  are  many  offices  to  be 
filled,  and  every  subject  may  become  a  candidate  for  office. 
There  is  no  place  where  education  does  so  much  for  one  as  in 


228 


GOVERNMENT  OFFICERS. 


China.  Schools  are  established  throughout  the  empire,  and 
the  people  as  a  whole  are  educated  sufficiently  to  read,  write 
and  keep  their  own  accounts.  In  fact,  many  are  very  quick 
at  figures.  Books  are  general  among  all  classes,  and  many  of 
the  wealthy  have  very  fine  libraries.  The  press  is  to  a  great 
extent  free,  but  the  publication  of  licentious  matter  is  severely 
punished. 

The  officers  of  the  empire  are  called  mandarinp    and  are 

divided  into  the  civil  and 
the  military.  The  official 
status  of  the  former  is 
marked  by  wearing  in  the 
hat  one  or  more  peacock's 
feathers,  according  to  rank, 
and  that  of  the  latter  by  a 
ruby  or  sapphire  on  the  top 
of  the  cap. 

The  ■  empire  is  divided 
into  eighteen  provinces, 
each  having  a  particular  ad- 
ministration, army,  and  fi- 
nance. Each  of  these  prov- 
inces is  sub-divided  into 
districts  containing  an  aver- 
age of  two  millions  of  in- 
habitants. These  districts 
are  again  divided  into  de- 
partments, and  the  depart- 
ment into  circles.  The  provinces  are  ruled  by  governor- 
generals,  appointed  for  three  years  by  a  board  under  the  di- 
rection of  the  emperor,  who  examine  the  qualification  of 
applicants  for  oftice.  The  power  of  these  governor-generals 
is  checked  by  a  cabinet  The  various  nnnor  officers  are  ap- 
pointed in  a  similar  way,  even  down  to  the  mayors  of  the 
principal  cities ;  but  the  officers  of  the  small  cities  and  towns 
are  elected  by  the  people.  The  cabinet  of  the  emperor,  con- 
sists of  four  chancellors,  two  assistants,  aided  by  the  most 


A  MANDARIN. 


THE  SOLDIERS  OF  THE  EMPIRE.  229 

renowned  scholars,  and  attended  by  about  fivelinndred  clerks. 
Tiie  emperor  himself  takes  an  active  part  in  the  labors  of  this 
cabinet,  his  edicts  being  published  in  the  Pekin  Gazette.  Tiie 
laws  of  China  are  collected  into  a  code  which  is  revised  every 
five  years.  It  seems  to  be  of  little  importance  whether  these 
laws  are  good  or  bad,  as  the  various  officers  often  overreach 
their  authority.  Edicts  by  the  provincial  officers  are  frequent- 
ly issued  upon  matters  already  provided  for  by  law,  and  cases 
of  collusion  of  the  police  with  thieves,  and  corrupt  judges,  are 
not  rare;  in  fact,  a  large  proportion  of  the  men  in  authority 
make  their  offices  pay  double  or  treble  its  nominal  value,  by 
some  underhanded  means.  In  these  things  the  Chinese 
officials  act  much  like  many  of  our  own  men  in  authority  at 
home 

The  military  organization  of  China  consists  of  about  600,000 
men,  besides  about  200,000  Tartars  who  are  at  the  disposal  of 
the  government.  The  whole  800,000,  however,  would  not 
withstand  the  charge  of  a  few  thousand  disciplined  troops,  for 
the  Chinese  are  great  cowards,  and  their  army  is  little  better 
than  a  mob.  In  times  of  peace  the  soldiers  are  quartered  here 
and  therein  cities  and  villages;  or  they  farm  little  lots  of 
government  land,  and  make  a  living  as  best  they  can.  They 
are  poorly  paid  ;the  foot  soldiers  only  receiving  from  three  to 
four  dollars  per  month,  and  the  horsemen  a  little  over  five 
dollars.  Their  arms  are  of  the  most  primitive  kind.  The 
infantry  carry  clumsy  matchlocks,  spears,  bows,  swords,  and 
bucklers.  The  cavalry  are  armed  with  shields,  helmets, 
bows  and  knives.  The  cannon  of  the  Chinese  are  also  very 
inefficient,  but  they  are  beginning  to  cast  heavier  guns,  and 
are  also  making  improvements  in  their  other  weapons. 

The  Tartars,  a  warlike  race,  inhabit  the  country  to  the  north 
of  China-Proper.  Their  incursions  in  former  times  were  so 
frequent,  that  the  Chinese  adopted  the  expedient  of  building 
along  their  entire  northern  frontier  that  enormous  wall  which 
has  become  one  of  the  wonders  of  the  world.  It  is  fifteen 
hundred  miles  long,  and  thirty  feet  high,  and  wide  enough  to 
admit  of  bix  horsemen  riding  upon  it  abreast.     Brick  towers, 


230  THE  TARTAR  INVASION. 

forty  feet  high,  are  erected  at  intervals,  and  are  "well-defended 
by  native  soldiers.  But  this-svall  is  no  longer  of  any  service; 
for  in  the  year  1279,  after  repeated  eilbrts,  the  Tartars  suc- 
ceeded in  placing  their  own  king  upon  the  Chinese  throne, 
and  they  maintained  possession  of  tlie  empire  until  a.  d.  1368, 
when  their  power  was  subverted  by  a  revolution  headed  by  a 
Buddhist  monk  of  low  birth.  In  1G15,  exasperated  by  the 
assassination  of  their  king  by  the  emperor  of  China,  the 
Tartars  took  part  in  a  civil  war  which  was  raging  at  that  time 
among  the  Celestials.  They  united  with  the  defeated  party, 
overturned  the  ruling  Chinese  dynasty,  and  again,  after  years 
of  internecine  warfare,  succeeded,  in  the  year  1G04,  in  making 
themselves  masters  of  the  empire.  Since  that  time  the 
nobility  of  Ciiina  have  all  belonged  to  a  foreign  race,  which 
however,  even  to  this  day,  is  hated  by  the  native  population. 

When  upon  the  wall  near  Canton,  we  saw  some  of  the 
Tartar  soldiers,  and  our  guide  turned  away  in  derision.  We 
noticed  that  they  were  of  a  lighter  complexion  than  the 
Chinese,  had  more  beard,  and  their  countenances  bespoke 
greater  intellectual  powers. 

From  the  very  iirst  the  policy  of  China  was  an  exclusive 
one,  but  there  has  been  some  excuse  therefor.  In  Europe, 
it  has  been  impossible  for  any  one  country  to  avoid  holding 
commercial  relations  with  the  other.  AVars  have  also  been 
frequent  between  nation  and  nation  ;  and  with  them  the  im- 
provements and  more  advanced  thoughts  of  the  one  have  been 
spread  over  the  other.  But  in  China,  from  the  vastness  of 
her  territory,  war,  excepting  the  war  with  the  Tartars,  has 
been  mostly  intestine.  This  vastness  of  territory,  where  so 
many  people  are  united  under  one  system  of  government,  has 
prevented  China  from  seeing  the  advantage  of  intercourse 
with  other  nations,  and  has  made  her  feel  proud  of  her 
position ;  especially  so.  as  many  of  the  improvements  of 
modern  times,  such  as  the  compass,  porcelain,  paper,  gun- 
powder and  printing,were  crudely  used  by  the  Cliinese  many 
centuries  before  they  were  known  to  Europe. 


THE  COOLIE  TRAFFIC.  231 

Toward  the  middle  of  the  sixteenth  century  the  Portuguese 
began  trading  a  little  with  tlie  neighboring  Chinese  ishmds; 
and  in  1583,  the  Italian  Jesuit  Ricce  was  permitted  to  preach 
Christianity  to  the  Chinese,  and  by  partially  conforming  to 
the  doctrines  of  Confucius,  he  succeeded  in  making  many 
converts.  A  little  later  the  Spanish  and  the  Dutch  sent  a 
few  trading  vessels  to  China,  but  met  with  poor  success.  In 
1653  the  Russians  were  permitted  to  trade  in  the  northern 
part  of  the  empire.  In  1671  the  emperor  had  the  whole  of 
his  territories  surveyed  and  mapped  out  by  Europeans. 

At  different  times,  treaties  have  been  made  in  respect  to 
the  toleration  of  missionaries,  and  the  opening  of  commercial 
intercourse  with  western  nations  ;  but  on  account  of  the 
hatred  with  which  foreigners  have  been  hitherto  regarded, 
these  treaties  have  remained  little  more  than  a  dead  letter, 
until  within  the  last  few  years.  Nor  was  the  hatred  of  the 
Chinese  altogether  without  cause.  The  importation  of 
coolies  into  the  island  of  Cuba  and  a  portion  of  South 
America,  especially  Peru,  was  a  disgrace  to  every  nation 
engaged  in  that  infamous  traffic.  Foreign  agents,  to  secure 
their  end,  have  scattered  abroad  by  the  thousand  hand-bills 
in  the  Chinese  language;  have  gone  to  the  opium  and  gamb- 
ling-houses, and  every  other  place  accessible,  seeking  out 
those  that  were  in  debt,  and  in  fact,  any  that  could  be  duped  ; 
they  have  offered  such  unfortunates  a  few  dollars  to  begin 
with,  and  so  much  per  month  for  a  certain  number  of  years 
after  arriving  in  the  country  to  which  they  were  to  be  taken. 
When  a  gang  was  ready,  they  were  packed  in  such  close 
vessels,  that  many  have  died  on  the  voyage,  and  others  have 
committed  suicide.  Upon  arriving  at  their  destination  they 
have  been  bought  and  sold,  and  treated  worse  than  slaves, 
and  at  the  end  of  the  term  of  years  for  which  they  were 
hired,  it  was  pretended  that  they  were  in  debt  to  their  owners, 
and  must  work  out  a  new  term.  Thus  they  were  kept  in 
perpetual  bondage,  till  they  cursed  the  day  on  which  they 
were  born.     Who  can  wonder  that  the  Chinese  hated  their 


232 


LATE  TREATIES. 


Christian  brethren  ?  However,  by  the  interference  of  their 
own  government,  and  those  of  other  nations,  the  coolie  traffic, 
in  this  form,  has  now  almost  entirely  ceased. 

By  the  treaties  of  1858,  the  Chinese  government  agreed, 
in  substance,  to  allow  foreigners  to  travel  in  China,  to  recog- 
nize resident  consuls  accredited  by  foreign  powers,  to  tolerate 
Christianity,  to  protect  Christian  missionaries,  and  to  open 
four  more  ports  to  foreign  shipping.  Since  that  time,  these 
treaties  have  been  pretty  faithfully  observed,  various  amend- 
ments have  been  made,  and  several  other  ports  have  been 
opened  to  commerce. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 
OYER  THE  CHINA  SEA  TO  FAETHER  INDIA. 

IN  due  course  of  time  we  paid  a  visit  to  Macao.  This  is 
a  Portuguese  city,  situated  near  the  mouth  of  the  Canton 
River,  at  the  extremity  of  an  island  ceded  to  the  Portuguese 
many  years  ago  as  a  reward  for  their  assistance  in  expelling 
a  Japanese  pirate. 

There  are  a  few  fine  buildings  in  Macao,  but  the  greater 
part  of  the  city  is  built  in  the  Oriental  style ;  about  fifty -five 
thousand  of  the  inhabitants  are  Chinese  or  half  breeds,  and  the 
other  ten  thousand  though  mostly  Portuguese  represent 
various  nationalities. 

We  were  now  restless  for  new  scenes  and  new  adventures, 
and  again  set  out  on  our  travels.  There  were  two  steamship 
lines  from  China  to  Europe,  owned  respectively  by  the 
English  and  French.  For  the  sake  of  variety  we  chose  to 
patronize  the  French  line,  and  took  passage  on  one  of  their 
magnificent  steamers. 

The  signal-gun  announcing  our  departure  from  Hong- 
Kong  was  fired  at  noon,  and,  leaving  the  city  behind,  we 
were  soon  steaming  down  the  channel,  and  out  upon  the 
wide  expanse  of  the  China  Sea.  It  was  not  without  some 
apprehension  that  we  had  embarked,  for  we  were  to  sail 
through  waters  visited  at  that  time  of  year  with  typhoons, 
and  then  to  set  foot  upon  shores  unhealthy  and  often  deadly 
to  foreigners. 

For  twenty-four  hours  the  uneven  coast  of  China  was  still 

in  sight,  and  now  and  then  we  passed  a  small  island  near  the 

233 


234  I^IFE  ON  THE  STEAMER. 

mainland.  The  sea  ran  high,  and  the  vessel  rolled  so  badly, 
that  although  most  of  the  passengers  had  been  at  sea  before, 
several  of  thera  became  sea-sick,  and  even  Caleb's  dinners  did 
not  agree  with  him. 

We  soon  began  to  feel  at  home,  and  M'andered  about, 
prying  into  this,  and  that,  as  though  we  were  the  exclusive 
owners  of  the  vessel  and  all  that  it  contained.  "\Ye  were  not 
long  in  discovering  that  there  were  five  grades  of  passengers 
on  board.  The  accommodations  of  the  first  and  second 
classes  were  about  the  same.  No  reasonable  man  could  com- 
plain of  either.  The  great  promenade  on  the  deck,  running 
the  entire  width  of  the  vessel  and  from  the  stern  to  midship, 
was  canvased  overhead  to  keep  out  the  sun,  and  was  occupied 
alike  by  these  two  classes.  The  French  language  preponder- 
ated in  the  first;  the  English  in  the  second;  and  although 
there  was  more  of  sparkle,  gesture  and  smile  among  the 
former,  yet  as  regards  intelligence,  good  manners,  and  good 
dress,  the  second-class  passengers  (among  whom  were  Caleb 
and  myself)  were  fully  their  equal. 

The  accommodations  of  the  third-class  passengers  were 
greatly  inferior  to  those  of  the  first  and  second ;  and  when  on 
deck  they  occupied  that  part  of  the  vessel  round  and  near 
the  hot  smoke-stacks.  Among  these  were  Portuguese — who 
took  any  kind  of  passage  to  save  a  little,  in  order  that  they 
might  more  effectually  flaunt  their  ribbons  and  sjmrkle  their 
jewelry  when  they  reached  their  journey's  end ;  Germans 
with  their  boisterous  laugh,  rough  language  and  slouchy 
appearance;  and  a  few  Dutchmen,  fat  and  jolly,  with  pi^^es 
forever  in  their  mouths. 

Chinamen,  Indiamen,  a  few  Portuguese,  a  Dutchman  or 
two,  and  some  Fi'ench  soldiers  going  to  Saigon,  made  up  the 
fourth  and  fifth  classes,  huddled  away  at  the  prow  of  the  ves- 
sel, there  to  subsist  on  what  was  left  after  the  other  passengers 
had  been  fed.  They  passed  their  time  away  amt)ng  monkeys 
and  tropical  birds,  and  boxes  containing  fowls  and  other  live 
stock  to  be  killed  on  the  voyage.  As  we  went  steaming 
along,  the  music  of  the  geese  and  ducks  was  mingled  with  the 


RETURNLXG  MISSIONARIES. 


235 


grunt  of  the  swine,  the  low  of  the  bnfialo,  the  chattering  of 
tlie  monkeys,  the  screeching  of  birds,  and  the  laugh  and  clat- 
ter of  the  ditferent  races  of  men. 


THIRD-CLASS    PASSENGKRS    AT    DlNiNKR. 


As  we  wandered  about  the  vessel,  from  time  to  time,  some 
things  struck  us  more  particularly  than  others.  About  the 
hot  boilers,  among  the  third-class  passengers,  sat  from  day  to 
day,  a  couple  of  missionaries  with  their  families.  All  were 
dressed  to  a  great  extent  after  the  Chinese  style,  excepting 
that  the  pig-tail  was  not  worn.  The  parents  were  always 
busy,  either  talking, reading,  writing,  sewing,  or  hearing  the 
children  recite  their  lessons.  Thev  were  returniniy  to  En^x- 
land,  there  to  spend  the  remainder  of  their  days. 

Kot  very  far  from  the  missionaries  sat  a  young  German 
lady,  who  was  nicely  dressed  and  very  pretty.  1  marveled 
that  such  a  fine-looking  lady  should  take  a  third-class  passage. 
Caleb  felt  rather  sorry  for  her,  as  she  sat  in  the  heat  without 
any  lady-friend  with  whom  to  converse  in  lier  own  language, 


236 


LADIES  "BOUND  FOR  SAIGON." 


and  he  several  times  expressed  a  wish  that  he  understool 
German,  80  that  he  might  talk  with  her.  I  noticed  too  that 
she  frequently  glanced  at  him  as  though  his  acquaintance 
would  be  very  agreeable  to  her.  Caleb  was  a  religious  young 
man,  and  perhaps  she  would  be  glad  to  talk  upon  some  relig- 
ious subject — it  might  be  that  she  was  a  missionary.  His  sym- 
pathies for  the  lonely  lady  were  fully  aroused,  and  there 
is  no  telling  what  he  might  have  done  had  not  an  acquaint- 
ance of  ours  informed  him  that  she  was  not  a  missionary,  but 
was  bound  for  Saigon,  (the  place  where  we  were  next  to  stop) 
and  that  her  moral  character  was  not  quite  bo  good  as 
it  might  have  been.  Caleb  thereupon  concluded  not  to  learn 
the  German  language  on  ship-board,  but  he  ever  afterward 
insisted  that  the  lady  had  been  cruelly  slandered. 


STATE-ROOM    VISITORS. 


Among  the  second-class  passengers  were  a  couple  of  very 
handsome  and  richly-dressed  French  ladies,  one  of  whom  had 
a  little  dog  of  wliich  she  seemed  to  be  very  fond.  One 
day  as  this  lady  was  passing  our  state-room,  while  we  were 
within,  the  little  fellow  poked  his  nose  under  the  curtain  in 
the  doorway  and  came  in  to  make  us  a  call ;  his  mistress 
immediately  came  in  also — to  search  for  him  we  supposed 
Caleb  is  very  polite  to  the  ladies,  so  he  picked  up  the  little 
darling,  and  emiling,  presented  him  to  his  fair  owner.     She 


SCANDAL  ON  SHIPBOARD. 


237 


expressed  her  deep  gratitude  in  French,  and  tlien  walked 
hesitatingly  away. 

Snbsecjuently  these  ladies  received  many  attentions  from 
some  of  the  Urst-class  passengers.     One  gay  young  IVench- 


"THE    captain    KRKyUENTLY    HOVERED    NEAR   THEM." 

man  in  particular  was  much  attracted  toward  them,  and  when 
seated  beside  them  on  deck  during  fine  evenings  would  treat 
them  to  cigarettes,  which  they  smoked  with  much  grace. 
Even  the  captain  seemed  to  be  wonderfully  pleased  with  his 
fair  passengers,  and  frequently  hovered  near  them. 

It  is  surprising  how  many  stories  of  scandal  circulated 
through  our  steamer.  We  were  even  told,  confidentially, 
that  these  French  ladies  were  also  bound  for  Saigon,  and 
that  their  characters  were  no  better  than  was  that  of  the 
lonely  German  girl. 

On  our  voyage  we  occasionally  espied  a  solitary  vessel  far 
out  upon  the  waste  of  waters.  It  was  like  meeting  a  friend 
in  a  distant  land.     Had  it  been  later  in  the  season  we  should 


238 


TUE  MONSOONS— FAKTHER  INDIA. 


have  seen  thousands  of  small  Chinese  boats,  sailing  with  their 
exports  to  the  islands  of  the  Indian  Archipelago.  As  there 
are  but  two  monsoons  in  a  year,  these  boats  only  make  the 
round  voyage  once  in  twelve  months,  sailing  south  during  the 
latter  part  of  the  southern  monsoon,  and  north  during  the 
early  part  of  the  northern ;  in  this  way  having  about  half  the 
year  to  remain  at  home. 


THE    BANKS    OF    THE    SAIGON. 


Early  in  the  morning  of  the  fourth  day  from  ITong-Kong, 
land  was  in  sight  to  our  right ;  it  was  the  coast  of  Farther 
India.  Toward  noon  we  were  sailing  up  the  Saigon  Kiver, 
bound  for  Saigon,  in  Anam,  in  a  latitude  of  about  ten  degrees 
north  of  the  equator.  The  surrounding  country  was  very 
low,  60  that  the  river,  as  it  approached  the  sea,  divided  into 


UP  THE  SAIGON  RIVEK. 


239 


several  branches.  As  we  sailed  aloni^  we  noticed  tliat  the 
under  brush  of  tropical  growth  was  so  thick  as  to  form  a  dense 
jungle,  which  the  eye  was  unable  to  penetrate.  In  many 
places  in  the  midst  of  the  jungle  arose  large  tro])ical  trees, 
among  the  branches  of  which  we  saw  birds  of  rich  and  gaudy 
plumage,  and  monkeys  jumping  from  limb  to  limb,  hanging 
first  by  one  paw  and  then  by  the  other,  or  swinging  by  the 
tail. 

Nearer  Saigon  the  country  was  not  quite  so  low ;  and  to 
our  delight  the  growth  of  bushes  and  trees  now  opened, 
giving  us  glimpses  of  little  bamboo  houses  and  villages,  and 
of  the  people  who  inhabited  them.  Endless  battalions  of 
ducks  marched  along  the  muddy  paths  leading  from  the  I'iver 
to  the  huts.  Small  patches  of  rice,  cotton,  sugar-cane,  indigo, 
and  tobacco  were  to  be  seen ;  but  they  had  lost  their  pride,  if 
ever  they  had  any,  and  agriculture,  the  principal  pursuit  of 
the  people,  seemed  here  to  have  lost  all  its  attractions. 

At  length  we  reached  Saigon,  which  is  about  fifty  miles 
from  the  sea,  and  anchored  in  the  middle  of  the  stream. 
Looking  down  from  the  deck,  we  saw  numerous  natives  in 
their  little  boats,  and  many  others  on  the  banks  of  the  river. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 
FUN  AND  ADYENTUHE  AT  SAIGON. 

AS  we  contemplated  Saigon  and  its  surroundings  from  the 
deck  of  our  steamer  the  prospect  was  dismal  enough  to 
cause  our  accustomed  cheerfulness  to  become  for  a  while 
overcast ;  but  the  jovial  remarks  of  a  good-natured  acquaint- 
ance soon   put   our   gloomy   meditations  to   flight. 

While  waiting  for  the  heat  to  abate  before  going  ashore, 
we  passed  the  time  on  deck  gazing  at  the  natives,  who 
paddled  around  our  vessel  jabbering  to  the  passengers,  and 
occasionally  we  pelted  them  with  oranges.  Larger  boats, 
bringing  betel-nuts,  stick-lac,  elephant  hides  and  bones, 
rhinoceros  bones,  etc.,  were  also  rowed  to  the  ship,  and 
received  in  return  the  flimsy  blue  cotton  fabric  which,  when 
made  up  into  loose  trowsers  and  a  sort  of  gown,  is  the  dress 
of  both  men  and  women.  The  people  had  high  cheek-bones, 
yellowish-brown  complexions,  and  black  bristly  hair.  They 
appeared  to  be  abominably  lazy,  as  they  lay  stretched  on  their 
backs  on  the  bank  of  the  river,  in  striking  contrast  to  the 
more  industrious  Chinamen,  whose  tall  pagoda,  towering 
over  the  city,  indicated  that  theii"  numbers  here  were  already 
by  no  means  small. 

Close  to  the  shore  were  some  fine  foreign  dwellings,  the 
navy-yard,  the  arsenal,  and  the  citadel ;  and  a  well-walled 
canal  took  its  course  inland,  connecting  Saigon  with  the 
Cambodia  River  twenty-four  miles  away. 

Towards  evening  the  soldiers  who  had  disembarked  from 
our  steamer  were  seen  drilling  under  the  shady  palms,  to  the 

240 


SIGDT-SEEIXG  WITU  "DOT"  AND  "DILLON."  241 

sound  of  martial  music,  and  things  looked  more  inviting  on 
shore.  So  just  as  the  sun  was  sinking  from  our  sight  wo 
decided  to  visit  the  city,  and  were  aceoni])anied  by  a  couple 
of  young  Englislimen  who  were  acquainted  with  the  place. 
They  were  old  chums,  and  called  each  other  "Dot"  and 
"Di'llion." 

The  natives  were  on  the  watch  for  us,  and  as  we  stepped 
down  to  the  water's  edge,  there  was  a  crowding  and  pushing 
among  the  little  boats  to  secure  our  patronage.  Dot  began 
to  use  his  cane,  striking  two  or  three  of  them  across  the 
shoulders,  and  then  pointed  out  a  certain  boat  whose  services 
he  desired  to  secure;  while  the  rest  of  them  scrambled  out  of 
the  way  in  a  hurry.  As  soon  as  we  were  ashore,  we  secured 
a  couple  of  small  cabs,  one  pony  and  a  native  driver  to  each, 
Caleb  and  I  riding  in  one,  and  Dot  and  Dillon  in  the  other. 

These  two  gentlemen  suggested  that  we  should  take  a 
drive  through  the  suburbs  of  the  city,  and  to  this  we  readily 
agreed,  little  thinking  what  a  droll  adventure  awaited  us. 
We  had  not  gone  far  when  the  two  friends  suddenly  halted. 
Caleb  and  myself  drove  np;  and  then  what  an  extraordinary 
sight  met  our  view !  From  yonder  huts  issued  scores  of 
girls  who  came  rushing  towards  us!  On  they  came  to  the 
front  cab.  They  gathered  round  Dillon  first ;  some  grabbed 
his  hands,  some  his  arms,  some  liis  coat-tail.  As  they  pulled 
and  tugged  away,  he  swayed  to  and  fro  as  a  sapling  in  the 
wind.  I  could  not  conceive  what  their  object  could  be,  or 
what  was  the  cause  of  all  this  commotion  ;  but  I  subsequently 
learned  that  it  was  the  custom  of  the  women  and  girls,  whose 
quarter  of  the  city  this  was,  to  capture  any  strangers  who 
intruded  upon  their  domain,  and  to  hold  them  in  captivity 
until  they  paid  ransom. 

Dillon  was  soon  taken  prisoner.  Then  all  these  hungry 
wolves  were  after  Dot.  lie  was  dressed  from  head  to  foot 
in  white  linen,  and  he  continued  to  M'iekl  his  cane  to  keep 
the  horrible  creatures  at  bay.  They  drew  back.  Again  they 
closed  up,  growing  bolder  and  bolder,  until  one,  darting  in 
from  the  rear,  seized  him  round  the  waist.  Others  immedi- 
ately followed  suit,  and  he  too  was  at  their  mercy. 
15 


242 


AN  ENCOUNTER  WITH  AMAZONS. 


They  were  now  at  liberty  to  attend  to  Caleb  and  myself. 
In  a  moment  their  eyes  were  upon  us.  "  Heavens  and  earth  ! 
they  are  coming  down  here ! "  said  Caleb.  It  was  too  true. 
By  the  dozen  they  poured  down  toward  us !  Closer  and 
closer  they  came.  Whither  should  we  run  ?  Before  a  second 
thought  could  enter  our  minds  they  were  upon  us.     They 


ASSAULTED    BY    AMAZONS. 


tried  to  creep  into  onr  cab.  We  beat  them  off.  Before  we 
knew  it  they  were  crawling  in  at  the  rear.  Caleb  scampered 
out  toward  the  front  in  such  hot  haste  that  one  would  have 
thought  a  tarantula  was  under  him.  There,  he  was  stormed 
by  others.  They  had  almost  overpowered  him,  when  sud- 
denly a  bright  thought  rushed  across  his  mind.  Snatching 
up  the  driver's  whip  he  seized  one  of  the  Amazons  by  the 
hair  of  the  head,  and  the  others  fell  back  afraid.  By  this 
time  a  she-Hercules  had  caught  me  by  the  coat-collar,  and 


A  STROLL  THROUGH  THE  CITY.  243 

was  pulling  the  very  life  out  of  me.  She  leaned  baclc,  and 
Bee-sawed — I  heard  my  coat  beginning  to  rip,  and  bent 
forward,  I  looked  to  see  the  whole  collar  ripped  asunder 
tlie  next  instant.  Now  she  gave  a  mighty  surge  as  one  at 
the  rear  was  lifting  at  my  heels,  and  I  came  tumbling  out 
upon  the  ground !  It  was  growing  serious.  To  be  jerked 
about  this  way  by  a  petticoat — especially  such  a  scanty  one — 
would  never  do,  I  scrambled  up  with  a  clenched  fist ;  when 
just  at  the  right  moment  came  Caleb  with  the  driver's  whip. 
With  a  few  vigorous  strokes  he  scared  my  enemy  away,  and 
I  was  free.  We  entered  our  vehicle  again  and  drove  off 
without  delay,  and  this  ended  one  of  the  fiercest  battles  I  ever 
fought  with  the  gentle  sex. 

Dot  and  Dillon  soon  overtook  us.  We  blamed  them  for 
bringing  us  through  such  a  quarter  of  the  cit}',  knowing,  as 
they  must  have  done,  the  odd  custom  of  the  natives.  They 
pleaded,  however,  that  they  had  had  the  worst  of  it,  for  they 
bad  been  forced  to  pay  ransom,  while  we  had  escaped  with  a 
few  scratches. 

After  this  rare  en(?ounter,  we  were  driven  into  the  center 
of  the  city,  and  a  more  squalid  or  more  repulsive  looking 
place  we  had  not  seen  in  all  our  travels.  Some  of  the 
inhabitants  in  the  streets  were  selling  fruit  from  their  dirty 
little  stands ;  some  were  sleeping,  and  many  others  though 
awake  were  doing  nothing.  Dogs  and  cats,  ducks  and  geese, 
crows  and  buzzards,  were  everywhere  to  be  met  with  in  the 
streets,  and  about  the  doorways;  and  as  darkness  came  on 
these  animals,  and  as  far  as  we  could  judge  many  others, 
made  the  evening  hideous  with  their  cries. 

After  dismissing  our  cabs,  we  took  a  stroll  through  the 
city  on  foot.  The  women  seemed  to  engage  in  every  branch 
of  labor  known  to  the  Anamese,  and  we  could  readily 
believe,  from  appearances,  that  they  were  slaves  to  their 
husbands.  We  noticed  every  now  and  then  a  small  Chi- 
nese shop,  the  inmates  of  which  looked  like  kings  in  their 
palaces  in  comparison  with  those  around  them. 

But  before  we  expected  it  the  lights  of  the  city  began  to 


244 


AN  EVENING'S  ADVENTURE. 


disappear,  and  we  started  at  once  for  the  vessel.  It  was  not 
Ion w  before  we  found  ourselves  in  a  dark  street  wliicli  had  no 
outlet.  Dot  had  pretended  tliat  he  could  speak  the  native 
tongue,  and  Caleb  and  I  were  now  anxious  that  he  should 
enquire  the  way  to  the  vessel ;  but  he  said  the  streets  were 
so  crooked  that  the  people  would  be  unable  to  tell  anything 
satisfactory.  We  groped  our  way  along  to  another  street, 
when  suddenly  our  two  leaders  tumbled  headlong  into  a 
ditch,  but  quickly  extricated  themselves.  As  Dot,  who  was 
one  of  them,  still  neglected  to  enquire  the  way,  I  naturally 
concluded  that  he  was  a  fraud  and  no  linguist. 

We  now  tried  another  street,  and  as  Caleb  and  the  linguist 
would  take  the  lead  no  longer,  Dillon  and  myself  led  ofi'at  a 
good  speed ;  but  before  long  we  stumbled  over  something 
and  went  sprawling  to  the  ground,  and  Caleb  and  Dot  came 


AN    ADVENTUUE    I.N    TllK    DAllK. 


tumbling  after  us.     As  we  regained  our  feet,   Caleb,  who 
had   sprained  his  wrist  in  the  fall,  said  in  a  rufHed  tone: — 
"  I  should  think  these  natives  might  know  better  than  to 
sleep  out  doors  in  the  streets." 


IN  A  HORNETS'  NEST.  245 

The  men  or  women  whoia  we  had  stumbled  over  were 
awake  by  this  time,  and  at  once  suspected  us  of  conspiring 
against  their  huts  and  worldly  goods;  and  Dot,  too  agitated 
to  remember  their  language,  if  he  ever  knew  it,  cried  out : — 

"We  are  lost ! — can  you  tell  us  the  way  to  the  river?" 

But  they  could  not  understand,  and  many  others  who 
were  awakened  by  the  noise  came  flocking  round  us. 

I  now  seriously  requested  Dot  to  ask  them  in  their  own 
language  the  way  to  the  river.  lie  promised  to  do  so,  and 
shouted : — 

'■'■  Relng  na  hong  kroicl  sonh?^''  Then  he  paused  for  a 
reply,  but  none  came  that  was  intelligible  to  Dot.  So  he 
tried  again : — 

"Don't  you  understand?  Krowl,  the  r'w er,  sonJc  reing, 
the  steamer,  you  cus-ed  fools;  have  you  forgotten  3'our 
mother  tongue  ? — can't  you  tell  us  the  way  to  the  steamer  ?  " 

The  vicinit}'  was  now  alive  with  angry  and  threatening 
natives  who  supposed  their  huts  were  to  be  burned,  or  at 
least  ransacked,  without  delay;  so  1  said: — 

"  They  have  forgotten  their  mother  tongue,  and  we  had 
better  get  clear  of  them.  There  is  no  knowing  how  many 
brickbats  are  about  to  be  hurled  at  our  heads  !  " 

The  advice  was  acted  on  promptly,  and  we  got  away 
without  being  molested.  Soon,  liowever,  we  came  to  a  dark 
unearthly-looking  place  which  appeared  to  be  a  suitable 
abode  for  hobgoblins  and  gl:osts.  Another  retreat  was 
precipitately  made,  and  at  last,  luckily,  we  got  on  to  a  street 
which  led  down  to  the  river.  We  aroused  some  natives  who 
were  asleep  in  their  little  boats,  and  in  a  few  minutes 
afterwards  were  safely  on  board  our  steamer. 

Our  steamer  was  to  leave  the  next  day,  and  as  I  wanted  to 
buy  a  pair  of  gaiters  Caleb  and  I  started  for  the  city  early  in 
the  morning.  Proceeding  to  the  French  part  thereof,  we 
entered  a  fashionable  shoe-shop,  and  Avere  gladdened  at  find- 
ing that  we  were  to  be  waited  on  by  a  handsome  young  French 
lady — such  a  one  as  had  been  for  years  my  ideal.  She  was 
in  fact  all  that  my  glowing  imagination  had  ever  pictured. 


246 


PULLING  ON  "ZE  LEETLE  SHOE." 


She  could  talk  a  little  English,  and  graciously  asked  me  what 
size  I  wore. 

"Number  six,"  was  my  reply. 

In  a  moment  I  was  trying  on  a  gaiter  so  numbered,  but  it 
was  smaller  than  that  size  usually  is,  or  my  foot  was  larger ; 
anyway  it  didn't  go  on.  1  was  about  to  ask  for  a  larger  pair 
when  she  smilingly  said : — 


YOUR    FOOT    VKRY    SMALL 


"  Pull  on  26  shoe  a  leetle.  Your  foot  very  small." 
I  had  been  pulling;  and  I  knew  my  foot  was  not  small, 
but  I  did  not  feel  like  contradicting  it,  after  such  a  compli- 
ment. So  I  concealed  my  efforts  as  much  as  possible,  but 
tugged  away  with  the  strength  of  an  ox.  I  noticed  the  shoe 
ripping  slightly  on  the  side  next  to  Caleb,  but  he  did  not  see 
it  and  it  was  almost  on.  If  I  had  paused  for  breath  the 
reputation  of  my  foot  would  have  been  forever  ruined — at 
least  in  the  lady's  eyes. 

'  Zere,"  she  said  when  the  shoe  was  finally  on,  "  what  did 


MISCHIEF  AND  THE  BOOTS.  247 

I  telz  you  ?  I  knew  your  foot  was  small.  Try  on  ze  other ; 
ze  difficulty  much  less." 

1  was  beginning  to  think  my  foot  was  really  a  small  one, 
but  still  I  doubted  the  expediency  of  putting  on  the  other 
shoe,  and  for  a  moment  I  hesitated.  Noticing  this  she  re- 
marked : 

"  Zere  no  difficulty  wiz  your  foot ;  at  first  I  noticed  your 
foot  very  small." 

I  hesitated  no  longer;  but  soon  discovered  that  the  fit  was 
to  be  closer  than  the  other  one  was,  and  soon  saw  that  the 
shoe  was  beirinnine:  to  tear,  Caleb  noticed  it  at  once,  and  was 
just  going  to  speak  when    I  gave  him  a  sly  wink. 

"Zere  no  difficulty,"  said  the  lady,  "just  pull  on  ze  shoe 
a  leetle.     "When  zay  fit  tight,  ze  foot  look  bootiful." 

I  was  so  hot  that  the  perspiration  rolled  oif  my  forehead 
in  beads,  but  nevertheless  I  tugged  away  as  earnestly  as 
before.  Rip  went  the  elastic,  enlarging  the  opening  so  that 
with  another  effort  the  shoe  went  on.  Without  waiting  for 
another  compliment  1  asked  the  price,  for  I  wanted  to  pay  it 
and  be  off  before  the  lady  discovered  that  wvj  feet  were  large 
enough  to  tear  her  shoes. 

Bidding  her  good  morning  I  walked  away  as  carefully  as 
possible,  but  was  aware  that  my  shoes  were  tearing  at  every 
step.  As  1  closed  the  door  I  caught  a  parting  glimpse  of 
the  lady  and  from  the  way  she  shook  with  repressed  laugh- 
ter I  really  believed  we  had  in  some  way  greatly  amused  her. 

"  I  really  never  noticed  before  how  small  your  feet  were, " 
said  Caleb  as  we  reached  the  street. 

"What  homely  things  those  French  women  are  anyhow; 
I  always  supposed  some  of  them  were  good-looking"  I 
replied. 

Just  then  one  of  my  feet  popped  out  at  one  side,  and  rested 
partially  upon  the  ground.  There  was  no  going  any  further 
with  those  shoes  on,  so  I  sat  down  upon  a  large  stone,  pulled 
them  off,  flung  them  upon  the  ground,  and  put  on  va^  old 
boots. 


SttS  A  NOTE  FOR  MADEMOISELLE. 

"  Your  feet  are  growing  smaller  every  day,"  said  Caleb ; 
"  At  one  time  a  number  six  was  tight  for  you,  but  now  you 
wear  it  without  any  trouble." 

I  paid  no  attention  to  him,  but  pulled  out  my  pencil  and  a 
piece  of  paper,  and  wrote  a  note,  which  I  put  into  one  of  the 
shoes;  then  I  wrapped  them  up,  and  started  for  the  shop, 
Caleb  M'alking  along  by  my  side.  When  opposite  the  door 
I  tossed  them  upon  the  steps,  and  walked  on  ;  but  Caleb,  glanc- 
ing back,  saw  the  young  lady  come  to  the  door,  and  pick 
them  up.     The  note  ran  as  follows : — 

Madam : — I  always  admired  a  small  bhoe,  and  never  felt  well  in  one  that 
was  broad  and  loose.  "  My  foot  iz  very  small,"  and  I  cannot  wear  these 
shoes,     riease  sell  them  to  some  one  with  a  large  foot. 

Yours,     "  Wiz  a  small  foot." 

It  was  now  too  late  to  think  of  visiting  a  second  shoe-store, 
and  we  hastened  back  to  the  steamer,  reaching  it  but  a  short 
time  before  all  was  ready  for  a  start. 

Farther  India  is  divided  into  three  divisions — Anam,  of 
which  Saigon  is  an  important  town,  Burmali,  and  Siam. 
Siam  is  the  largest  of  the  three,  and  has  a  population  of 
eight  millions.  It  is  watered  by  several  important  streams, 
one  of  which  passes  through  the  birthplace  of  the  celebrated 
Siamese  twins.  The  valleys  of  the  rivers  equal  the  Kile  in 
richness  of  soil,  and  yield  abundant  crops  whene\er  cultivated. 

The  dwellings  of  the  Siamese  consist  principally  of  huts 
the  sides  and  roofs  of  which  are  covered  with  leaves.  The 
wealthy  natives  live  in  palaces  covering  several  acres  of 
ground,  and  built  of  white  brick,  ornamented  with  gilding, 
carvings,  pictures,  gold,  silver  and  glass.  These  palaces  with 
their  apartments  for  wives  and  servants,  are  surrounded  by 
high  walls,  within  which  are  charming  grounds  with  flowery 
beds,  and  shady  walks.  Among  the  common  people  few 
have  more  than  one  wife  ;  but  the  rich  bring  to  their  palaces 
scores,  and  even  hundreds.  The  first  wife  is  the  mistress  of 
the  house,  all  the  rest  being  subject  to  her  authority.  The 
wife  is  seldom  seen  out  in  company  with  the  husband,  and 
even  then  is  always  kept  in  the  background.     Kor  does  she 


SIAMESE  CUSTOMS. 


249 


dine  with  him,  but,  as  a  Bervant,  waits  upon  him  crouching 
on  her  knees  and  elbows. 

Social  distinction  is  represented  bj  numbers.  The  lowest 
slave  receives  the  number  five,  as  the  representative  of  liis 
social  position.  The  next  above  him  is  numbered  ten,  and  so 
on  to  the  second  ruler,  or 
viceroy,  whose  number  is 
one  hundred  thousand; 
while  far  above  numerical 
representation  is  the  king 
on  the  throne,  before  whom 
all  crouch  and  crawl  in  the 
dust.  To  him  an  annual 
service  of  three  months  is 
given  by  all  his  subjects, 
and  it  has  been  estimated 
that  one-third  of  the  pop- 
ulation are  his  slaves, 
either  by  capture,  birth,  re- 
demption from  the  penalty 
of  the  law,  or  on  account  of 
debts  contracted  by  gamb- 
ling, or  otherwise. 

Villages  of  thousands  are 
composed  of  t  h  o  s  e   c  a  p-  ^  ^'^^'^^^  ™'^'^^- 

tured  in  war,  and  the  chains  of  convicts  are  continually  heard 
clanking  in  the  different  cities;  while  the  men  frequently 
sell  their  wives  and  children,  and  even  themselves.  The 
only  relief  to  this  gloomy  life  is  found  in  sports,  plays  and 
holidays,  which  all  seem  to  enjoy. 

The  most  honorable  mode  of  disposing  of  the  dead,  is  by 
burning;  while  their  mourning  emblems  are  the  shaved  head 
and  the  wearing  of  white  robes. 

In  general  appearance  the  Siamese  bear  a  strong  resemblance 
to  the  Anamese.  They  are  indolent,  dishonest,  and  ignorant 
yet  peaceable,  and  respectful  toward  the  poor  and  the  aged. 
They  stain  their  teeth  black,  and  sometimes  serrate  them. 


250  ABOUT  BURMAH. 

The  males  shave  the  greater  portion  of  their  heads,  only  leav- 
ing a  stili'  tuff  on  the  top,  which  they  allow  to  grow  to  the 
length  of  two  or  three  inches.  The  ladies  wear  their  hair 
short,  and  frequently  uproot  a  narrow  line  encircling  the  head. 

Burmah  lies  to  the  northwest  of  Siam,  and  although  the 
British  have  taken  possession  of  its  most  fertile  portion,  and 
its  only  sea-coast,  yet  in  many  places  the  natural  productions 
are  abundant,  and  the  forests  are  fine  and  flourishing. 

Agriculture  is  yet  in  a  very  primitive  state;  garden  vege- 
tables, fruits,  and  crops,  are  cultivated  with  little  or  no  skill, 
and  the  people  live  chiefly  upon  wild  fruits,  the  young 
shoots  of  trees,  and  the  succulent  roots  of  various  plants; 
mangoes,  oranges,  pineapples,  custard-  apples,  figs,  the  bread- 
fruit, the  papaw,  and  the  plantain,  grow  almost  spontaneously, 
and  answer  as  a  substitute  for  bread. 

The  circulating  medium  of  the  country  consists  of  gold, 
silver,  and  lead.  These  are  used  in  their  native  state,  it 
being  necessary  every  time  they  change  from  hand  to  hand,  to 
have  them  weighed  by  bankers.  As  the  weighing  costs  three' 
and-a-half  per  cent  of  the  value  of  the  article  in  question, 
many  are  driven  to  the  necessity  of  barter  and  trade,  rice  being 
exchanged  for  cotton,  and  cotton  for  tobacco,  etc. 

The  government  of  Burmah  is  one  of  the  most  despotic 
of  despotisms.  It  is  even  worse  than  that  of  Siam  or  Anam. 
The  king  dispenses  justice  according  to  his  will,  even  to  the 
infliction  of  the  death  penalty.  Under  him,  however,  is  a 
court  which  frequently  tries  cases,  thus  saving  him  the  trouble. 
This  court  charges  ten  per  cent  of  the  property  in  question 
as  fees  ;  consequently  trials  are  seldom  brought  before  it. 

The  prevailing  religion  in  these  three  divisions  of  Farther 
India,  is  Buddhism.  In  Anam,  however,  but  few  profess  this 
religion,  the  masses  of  the  people  caring  but  little  for  a 
worship  in  which  the  most  abject  superstition  preponderates. 
In  Siam  and  Burmah  the  old  doctrines  of  the  Buddhist  religion 
have  been  kept  more  free  from  admixture  with  other  religions 
than  in  China,  yet  missionaries  have  made  better  progress. 


THE  TEMPLES  OF  SIAM. 


251 


The  special  object  of  worship  among  the  Siamese  is  the  white 
elephant. 

The  temples  of  Siam  eqnal  in  beauty  and  splendor  any  that 
can  be  found  in  Asia.  Amid  parks  and  groves  their  great 
white  walls  loom  up,  and  from  their  serrated  roofs  rise 
wondrous  domes  and  spires,  inlaid  and  gilded  with  glittering 
designs  of  various  descriptions,  while  continual  music  from 
nir-rnng  bells  comes  floating  out  upon  the  breeze  from  unseen 
re::;esses  in  the  roofs  and  domes,  fllling  the  w4iole  atmosphere 
with  mysterious  sounds.  One  of  these  temples  contains 
nine  hundred  images  of  Buddha,  the  most  noticeable  of  which 
is  in  a  reclining  posture.  It  is  of  the  extraordinary  length 
of  one  hundred  and  fifty-eight  feet.  The  whole  form  is  beau- 
tifully inlaid  and  adorned  with  pearls  and  gold. 


AM    A.NAM    AKISTOCRAT. 


CHAPTER  XXYII. 

VOYAGE  TO  THE  LAKD  OF  THE  MALAYS. 

WE  left  our  anchorage  at  Saigon,  and  floated  down  the 
river  towards  the  ocean ;  the  motion  of  the  stream 
being  6o  gentle  that  during  the  night  we  were  hardly  con- 
scious of  the  movement  of  the  vessel. 

Next  morning  the  iirst  objects  that  attracted  my  attention 
when  I  opened  my  eyes,  were  my  old  boots.  They  had 
received  a  good  polishing,  and  seemed  dearer  to  me  than 
ever.  I  rose  at  once  and  made  my  way  towards  the  bath- 
room, where  a  Chinese  attendant  stood  ready  to  minieter  to 
my  wants.  Everything  in  this  department  was  kept  in  as 
perfect  order  as  the  most  fastidious  could  wish. 

Having  taken  a  dip  in  the  eea-water  which  came  spouting 
in  through  the  mouth  of  a  bronze-headed  sea-gull,  I  stepped 
on  deck,  where  a  number  of  European  ladies  and  gontlemcn 
scantily  and  airily  clad  in  their  long  Chinese  night-gowns, 
and  with  nothing  on  their  feet  but  low  grass  slippers,  were 
slowly  promenading,  or  lazily  reclining  on  the  long  sedan 
Bettees. 

Suddenly  there  is  a  hurrying  to  and  fro,  a  hasty  putting  on 
of  more  closely-fitting  garments,  and  a  general  preparation 
for  using  knives  and  forks.  The  breakfast-bell  has  sounded, 
and  we  prepare  to  enjoy  our  morning  meal. 

After  breakfast,  and  occasionally  when  conversation  lagged 
and  jokes  became  heavy  to  all  except  their  authors,  six  or 
eight  of  us  would  bre.".k  the  monotony  by  a  game  of  "frog." 
This  game  consisted  of  pitching  quoits  at  a  curious-looking 

252 


DECK  AMUSEMENTS. 


253 


metal  frog  wliich  was  perched  upon  a  box  on  tlie  deck.  His 
mouth  was  wide  open,  and  he  stared  at  us  with  his  green 
eyes,  which  never  even  winked  as  the  missile  approached 
liini.  Many  a  drub  did  his  countenance  receive,  and  once  in 
a  great  while  he  succeeded  in  catching  and  swallowing  a 
quoit;  but  the  feat  was  a  rare  one,  and  whenever  one  wa3 


PLATING       FROG 


heard  rattling  down  his  throat,  he  was  greeted  with  shouts 
of  applause  from  his  audience. 

Then  we  amused  ourselves  by  watching  the  children  play- 
ing "log."  M:iny  a  mother  was  minus  her  spool  of  thread 
on  account  of  that  game.  Thus  it  was  plaj-ed  : — Having 
attached  a  cork  or  piece  of  paste-board  to  the  end  of  a  string 
they  threw  it  overboard,  when  the  speed  of  the  vessel  rapidly 
whirled  the  spool  which  they  held  on  a  knitting-needle. 
"When  all  was  unwound,  a  motley  group  of  European,  Chi- 
nese, and  Malay  urchins  formed  in  line  Avith  the  tliread  on 
their  shoulders,  drawing  in  the  "log" — those  from  the  front 
continually  running  abaft  to  form  in  the  rear. 

I  never  was  in  any  place  without  taking  a  fancy  to  some 
lady  or  other.  There  was  a  suitable  object  of  interest  now 
on  board  our  vessel.     But,  unfortunately  for  me,  she  seemed 


254 


CALEB'S  PROMENADE. 


to  prefer  Caleb's  company  to  my  own.  I  could  hear  it  as 
Blie  sang  her  Italian  songs,  I  could  see  it  in  her  glances,  and 
in  her  preference  to  promenade  with  him  at  evening. 
Sometimes  when  it  was  quite  rough,  and  they  went  stagger- 
ing along  the  deck  together,  I  tried  to  convince  myself  that 
/  would  not  on  any  account  be  troubled  with  lady-company 
at  such  a  time ;  but  I  never  quite  succeeded.  It  amused  me 
to  watch  them ;  Caleb  seemed  to  have  taken  a  fancy  to  tread 
upon  his  friend's  dress,  and  I  expected  every  moment  to  see 
him  tear  it  from  her  waist,  while  she  seemed  rather  to  enjoy 
balancing  herself  against  him  in  a  most  tantalizing  way.  I 
cannot  say  that  I  should  have  shed  many  tears  if  they  had 
both  rolled  overboard  together. 


DOT    WINS    THE    NIGHT. 


About  this  time  Dot,  who  was  still  our  fellow-traveler, 
had  some  trouble  with  his  room-mate — a  fat  German.  The 
latter  wanted  the  window  of  the  state-room  closed  one  night, 
but  did  not  say  so,  preferring  to  get  up  and  shut  it  when  he 


THE  MALAY  PENINSULA.  255 

thought  Dot  was  asleep.  Dot,  on  his  part,  persisted  in 
opening  it,  giving  his  friend  to  understand  that  he  did  not 
know  how  it  came  to  be  closed  and  that  he  suspected  some 
one  was  playing  a  joke  on  them.  Finally  Dot,  after  opening 
it  for  the  fourth  time,  seized  the  water  pitcher  and  vowed  he 
would  pour  its  contents  over  anything  or  anybody  who 
undertook  to  meddle  with  it  again.  He  carried  the  day,  or 
rather  the  night,  and  the  window  remained  unmolested. 

On  the  fiftli  morning  after  leaving  Saigon,  just  as  day  was 
breaking,  we  passed  through  the  group  of  islands  on  the 
Malayan  shore.  They  presented  a  charming  spectacle, — ■ 
fresh  with  the  richest  of  tropical  verdure,  and  alive  with  the 
songs  of  birds.  To  our  left  were  islands  near  and  far  ;  those 
in  the  distance,  from  the  smoothness  and  soft  blue  tint  of 
the  waters  arc un  1,  appearing  to  rest  upon  the  clouds.  As 
we  sailed  through  these  placid  waters,  upon  whose  face  not 
even  a  ripple  was  to  be  seen,  or  passed  immediately  by  the 
shore  of  one  of  those  green  islands,  or  caught  sweet  glimpses 
of  others  in  the  distance,  we  almost  forgot  that  these  were 
scenes  of  earth  and  that  we  were  earthly  beings.  It  was  a 
vision  that  we  could  never  forget. 

Later  in  the  morning  we  sailed  up  the  channel — in  some 
parts  only  half  a  mile  wide — between  the  Malay  Peninsula 
and  the  island  of  Singapore,  which  belongs  to  the  English, 
and  is  the  great  entrepot  between  Europe  and  the  East 
Indies,  as  well  as  between  Europe  and  China.  "  Look ! " 
cried  one;  and  immediately  all  eyes  were  turned  to  the  right 
of  the  vessel's  prow  where  a  tiger  was  swimming  across  the 
channel.  From  our  speed  we  seemed  likely  to  head  him  off; 
but  he  was  a  good  swimmer  and  put  forth  all  his  strength. 
We  could  see  his  great,  fiery  eyes  as  he  passed  immediately 
in  front  of  us.  At  last  he  reached  the  island,  shook  his  wet 
hide,  and  disappeared  in  the  jungles.  We  were  told  that  at 
times  the  animals  swam  across  to  the  nearest  islands  in  such 
numbers  as  to  defy  the  weapons  of  the  natives. 

It  was  not  long  before  we  reached  the  English  port  of 
Singapore,  w'here  vessels  of  .almost  every  nation  were  loading 


256 


THE  HARBOR  OF  SINGAPORE. 


and  unloadinf^  cargoes  of  coffee,  tea,  nutmegs,  spices — in 
short  all  the  riches  of  the  richest  countries  of  the  world. 
Here  the  white  man,  the  jellow  man,  the  brown  man,  and 
the  black  man  frequently  stood  together,  giving  ample 
opportunity  for  the  study  of  the  various  nationalities  of  the 
earth. 

Thronging  upon  the  shore,  were  the  brown  Malays  selling 
to  the  passengers,  animals,  birds  of  splendid  plumage,  and 
shells  beautiful  and  endless  in  variety ;  and  all  going  as 
cheap  as  dirt.  "VVe  contented  ourselves  with  merely  buying 
some  corals  for  bouquets  to  adorn  our  state-room.  All  around 
in  their  little  boats  were  these  same  Malavs,  divino^  after 
copper  coins  as  they  were  thrown  into  the  water  by  the 
passengers.  As  a  vessel  departed,  scores  of  them  buzzed 
along  in  its  Avake  darting  after  an  occasional  coin  until  the 
steamer  left  them  far  behind.     A  coin  from  our  steamer  was 


4 


A    iltTtumC    SHOWER. 


thrown  far  out  on  the  water,  and  a  score  of  boats  started  for 
the  place  where  it  would  strike.  A  collision  seemed  inevit- 
able, but  down  went  the  divers,  head-foremost,  three  or  four 
at  a  time,  reminding  one  of  a  great  meteoric  shower. 
Pretty  soon,  up  popped  one  of  them  holding  the  coin  out 
between  his  thumb  and  finger,  and  the  others  shortly  followed 
him. 


MALAY  DIVERS. 


257 


Two  of  the  divers  in  a  tiny  boat  came  close  to  our  vessel 
motioning  for  us  to  throw  over  a  coin ;  and  one  of  tlieni 
climbed  on  deck  by  means  of  a  rope.  As  he  perelied  on  the 
railing  he  gave  us  to  understand  that  he  would  dive  down  if 
sufficient  encouragement  was  given  him  to  do  so ;  thereupon 
a  coin  was  pitched  into  the  water.  Instantly  he  placed  his 
hands  together  above  his  head  so  as  to  cut  the  waves,  and 
plunged  head-foremost  from  the  ship.  He  was  under  the 
water  longer  than  we  thought  he  should  be,  and  a  feeling  of 
uneasiness,  then  of  suspense  was  evident  among  the  passen- 
gers. But  he  came  up  all  right  at  last,  with  the  coin  between 
his  teeth. 


16 


CHAPTER  XXVni. 
EXCURSION'S  IN  SINGAPOEE. 

WHEN  Mr.  Darwin  gets  through  with  his  descent  of 
monkeys  or  ascent  of  man,  I  wish  he  would  impart 
some  useful  knowledge  by  tracing  the  origin  of  the  genius 
who  drive  people  around  in  vehicles  for  pay. 

You  see  that  race  in  every  part  of  the  world ;  they  all  evi- 
dently spring  from  one  common  stock,  and  take  to  their  pro- 
fession as  kindly  as  young  ducks  to  the  water.  They  are 
white  in  one  part  of  the  world  and  black  in  another,  but 
always  as  innocent  as  doves.  I  think  I  cherish  toward  them 
a  feeling  akin  to  that  which  I  hold  toward  other  land-pirates. 
I  avoid  them  as  much  as  possible,  but  when  fate  throws  me 
into  their  hands,  1  close  my  eyes  and  resign  myself. 

I  was  about  to  say  that  we  hired  one  of  these  guileless 
creatures  to  convey  us  from  the  landing-place  to  the  city  of 
Singapore  ;but  on  reflection  I  think  it  must  have  been  a  sort 
of  copartnership,  in  which  we  were  to  do  the  suffering  and  he 
receive  the  pay.  When  we  ofi'ered  ourselves  as  his  victims 
quite  early  in  the  morning,  he  understood  English  and  could 
speak  it  fluently.  Soon  he  showed  signs  of  relapsing — like 
a  converted  Hindoo — into  his  original  condition,  and  like 
the  Hindoo  could  only  be  spasmodically  reclaimed  by  a  period- 
ical reward  for  his  faithlessness. 

When  we  had  bargained  with  him  and  obtained  an  honor- 
able adjustment  of  all  our  differences,  he  carefully  loosened 
every  weak  part  of  the  harness,  and  then  started  off  with  us, 
cracking  his  whip ;  but  no  sooner  had  we  passed  the  few 
houses  skirting  the  shore  than  our  troubles  began. 

258 


A  DRIVE  TO  SINGAPORE. 


259 


Just  as  we  were  entering  into  a  jungle  of  high  cane,  snap 
went  one  of  the  traces.  The  poor  driver  looked  at  the  broken 
leather,  wringing  his  hands,  and  exclaiming  piteously  that 
he  must  pay  full  damages  out  of  his  own  wages.  AVe  consult- 
ed together,  and  agreed  that  if  one  rupee  would  mend  the 
matter  we  would  sink  that  amount  more  than  we  had  origin- 
ally intended  to.  lie  took  the  money  on  the  spot,  for  fear, 
as  he  said,  that  it  might  be  forgotten  later  in  the  day,  as  his 
own  memory  was  bad.  lie  was  so  grateful,  as  he  tied  up  his 
harness  with  strings  which  he  happened  to  have  at  hand, 
that  we  felt  the  pleasure  of  one  who  does  a  good  deed. 


ON   THE    ROAD    TO    SINGAPORE. 


"We  were  soon  passing  along  the  road  which  bordered  the 
river;  the  banks  on  either  side  were  covered  with  luxuriant 
vegetation,  while  along  the  road  a  constant  stream  of  ox-carts 
slowly  wended  their  way,  bearing  to  the  steamers  coal  and 
other  products  of  the  island. 

At  last  we  reached  the  city  of  Singa])ore  and  found  that  it 


260  AMONG  THE  MALAYS. 

lay  upon  both  sides  of  the  river,  some  three  miles  from 
where  our  steamer  lay  at  anchor.  One  portion  -was  ahnost 
entirely  inhabited  by  Chinese,  who  gained  a  livelihood  by 
sellinj^  edible  bird's-nests,  spices  of  all  kinds,  cocoanuts, 
bananas,  and  other  tropical  fruits.  The  Europeans  lived  in 
one  quarter  by  themselves,  residing  in  beautiful  mansions 
fitted  with  every  convenience.  The  Chinese  huddled  together 
in  miserable  little  shanties,  while  the  Malays,  who  also  lived 
by  themselves,  did  not  consider  any  habitation  necessary. 

I  was  told,  that  when  a  Malay  deliberately  washes  himself, 
his  friends  make  ready  for  his  burial — because  they  know 
he  is  going  to  commit  suicide.  How  true  this  may  be  I  can- 
not say,  but  we  judged  from  appearances  that  cleanliness 
formed  no  part  of  their  religion.  In  tlie  matter  of  wearing 
clothes  they  seemed  very  independent.  Some  had  on  a  sort  of 
bathing-dress  fastened  by  a  flashing  girdle. 

While  hunting  up  our  driver,  who  had  dismounted  from 
his  seat  and  gone  off  without  asking  leave,  we  had  an  oppor- 
tunity to  see  the  inside  of  the  Malayan  houses.  As  we  enter- 
ed one  of  them  the  ladies  of  the  hut  were  preparing  them- 
selves for  a  promenade,  which  they  did  by  throwing  a  sort 
of  blue  veil  over  the  face,  so  as  not  to  frighteu  the  opposite 
sex — I  suppose — by  their  ugliness.  In  another  residence  we 
saw  a  Malay  barber  pulling  the  hairs  from  a  customer's  chin 
with  a  pair  of  tweezers.  If  two  or  three  liad  not  been  ahead 
of  us,  we  might  have  listened  to  the  proprietor's  blandishments 
and  been  denuded  also. 

In  a  third  hut  sat  our  cabman  gambling  away  the  rupee  of 
largesse  which  we  had  bestowed  upon  him.  His  knowledge  of 
English  had  forsaken  him  with  his  money,  and  nothing  short  of 
the  redemption  of  the  coin  by  us  seemed  likely  to  restore  his 
peace  of  mind.  This  dane,  he  bowed  reverently,  put  it  in 
his  pocket,  and  then  led  us  forth  to  a  feast  of  intellect  in  a 
larger  hut  where  a  great  crowd  had  assembled  to  witness  a 
cockroach-fight. 

As  we  pushed  our  way  after  our  champion,  his  voice  was 
loud  and  he  held  his  rupee  defiantly  aloft.     He  grew  reserved 


AT  THE  MERCY  OF  JEHU. 


2G1 


however  when  he  had  again  lost  it  by  betting,  and  slowly 
walked  off"  toward  his  horse.  We  followed  him,  but  his 
startled  looks  when  he  came  in  sight  of  the  animal  made  ns 
feel  uneasy.  Striking  an  attitude,  he  slowly  approached  the 
beast  and  bending  low  before  his  head,  smote  his  own  breast, 
and  began  gnashing  his  teeth.  He  then  opened  the  steed's 
mouth,  and  beckoned  for  us  to  come  and  look  down  his  throat. 


HE    IS    HUNGRY 


"  His  throat  looks  all  right,"  said  T,  after  examining  it. 

Then  the  man  fell  to  the  ground  and  acted  like  a  horse  with 
the  wind-colic.  On  recovering  his  senses  again,  he  informed 
us  that  under  no  consideration  could  he  allow  his  animal  to 
proceed  unless  we  devoted  the  sum  of  one  shilling  for  proven- 
der. It  was  hot  and  we  could  not  walk ;  so  we  made  a  virtue 
of  necessity,  and  yielded.  It  was  weakness,  nothing  else, 
that  caused  us  to  surrender,  for  we  knew  well  enough  that 
the  rascal  would  go  ofiE  immediately  and  waste  the  money 
upon  himself. 

We  followed  him  again,  and  this  time  caught  him  sitting 
beside  a  small  wooden  platform  betting  as  before  on  the 
result  of  a  fight  between  two  cockroaches.  Ever  and  anon 
an  owl-faced  Malay  drove  the  two  roaches  together,  until 
each  seemed  possessed  with  the  conviction  that  it  was  to  the 


2G2 


A  MALAYAN  AREXA. 


other  tliat  he  was  indebted  for  his  evil  day.  Strong  and 
gamy  fellows  were  these  roaches,  and  not  less  than  throe 
inches  in  length.  It  was  impossible  to  determine  from  ap- 
pearances which  was  the  better  roach  ;  but  favoritism  was 
bestowed  on  one  which  by  some  mischance  had  been  deprived 
of  a  leg.  This  apparent  disad-vantage  seemed  to  improve 
his  cliance',  and  the  death  of  his  antagonist  justified  the  faith 
reposed  in  him  by  his  backers. 


GO    IT    YOU    CRIPPLE 


At  the  close  of  this  strange  encounter,  onr  driver,  who  had 
added  to  his  shilling  by  betting  on  the  victorious  cockroach, 
offered  to  show  us  a  lizard  fight  for  the  paltry  smn  of  half 
a  crown.     This  favor  we  respectfully  declined. 

The  darkening  sky,  as  we  emerged  from  the  shed,  admon- 
ished us  of  the  necessity  of  obtaining  shelter  in  the  European 
quarter  from  a  coming  storm,  but  our  tormentor  insisted  on 
feed  ins:  his  steed  before  we  started.  While  waitino-,  we 
were  rewarded  for  the  delay  by  seeing  a  woman  practicing 
the  prevailing  custom  of  flattening  her  children's  noses. 
She  had  two  children — both  little  girls;  the  oldest  not 
exceeding  the  tender  age  of  eighteen  months.  On  the  face 
of  each,  a  flat  piece  of  wood  Avas  bound  over  the  nasal  organ 
by  a  string  which  was  tied  at  the  back  of  the  head. 


PREPARING  FOR  A  STORM.  2G3 

"We  felt  no  small  amount  of  disgust  when  our  guide  pre- 
pared himself  for  the  storm  by  divesting  himself  of  his 
clothing  which  he  carefully  placed  under  the  seat  in  the  cab. 
Just  as  we  were  comfortably  seated  he  remembered  his  money, 
and  had  to  overhaul  his  garments  for  the  treasure,  which,  when 
found,  he  placed  in  his  mouth  for  safer  keeping.  We  justi- 
fied his  lack  of  confidence  b}'  throwing  his  garments  over- 
board with  our  canes,  and  no  entreaty  of  his  could  persuade 
ns  to  reconsider  our  action.  "We  had  stipulated  that  no  one 
but  ourselves  should  occupy  that  vehicle  inside,  and  we  were 
firm  in  the  maintenance  of  our  rights.  Our  driver,  how- 
ever, could  not  be  brought  to  regard  matters  in  a  proper 
light.  He  closed  the  door  violently,  muttering  anything  but 
blessings  as  he  did  so. 

Simultaneously  with  the  banging  of  the  cab  door  came  a 
sharp  flash  of  lightning,  then  a  loud  clap  of  thunder,  and 
after  the  thunder  a  torrent  of  rain  which  seemed  like  a 
second  deluge.  The  crowded  squares,  streets,  and  alleys, 
became  mud  pools  and  open  sewers  through  which  the 
accumulated  filth  swept  in  torrents,  while  the  inhabitants 
dispersed  with  rat-like  celerity  into  their  thatclied  burrows. 

Long  before  the  rain  had  ceased  pouring  upon  the  earth, 
we  had  reached  our  quarters,  and  were  inwardly  rejoicing  at 
beincr  finally  rid  of  our  troublesome  driver  whom  we  trusted 
we  should  never  see  again.  In  this,  however,  we  were 
mistaken  ;  for  the  next  morning  as  we  left  the  hotel  to  make 
an  excursion  into  the  country  plantations,  foremost  among 
the  hackmen  was  that  troublesome  Jehu.  To  save  his 
feelings  and  our  own  we  jumped  into  the  very  first  vehicle 
that  came  in  the  way,  which  to  our  infinite  disgust  w'e  found, 
when  too  late,  was  the  one  belonging  to  the  enemy.  lie  did 
not  give  us  a  chance  to  escape,  but  instantly  leaped  on  to  his 
seat — crack  went  the  whip,  and  we  were  off !  *'  Bismillah !  " 
we  exclaimed — it  is  the  will  of  heaven — and  then  we  closed 
our  eyes  and  resigned  ourselves  to  fate. 

This  resigned  state  of  mind  however  was  not  of  long 
duration,  for  Jehu  soon  had  us  among  the  plantations  of 


264  MYSTERIOUS  DOGS. 

cocoanut  trees,  bananas,  pineapples,  etc.,  and  was  busying 
himself  in  pointing  out  all  that  might  interest  us,  when 
suddenly  he  halted  beside  a  great  pile  of  cocoanuts,  and 
persuaded  us  to  alight  from  our  carriage,  break  open  some  of 
the  fruit,  and  drink  the  delicious  milk.  He  was  still  extol- 
ling the  sweetness  and  goodness  of  these  nuts,  which  he  said 
were  free  for  anyone  to  take  if  they  pleased,  and  we  had  just 
begun  to  taste  the  milk,  when  suddenly  a  pack  of  dogs,  fol- 
lowed by  a  native  with  a  huge  club,  mysteriously  issued 
from  a  hut  close  by.  The  moment  Jehu  saw  them,  he 
exclaimed  with  much  gesticulation  : — 

"  Me  a  rupee !   me  save  you ! " 

"We  needed  no  argument,  but  hastily  tendered  the  money, 
without  a  word.  Immediately  our  honest  friend  drew  forth 
a  much  smaller  coin,  tossed  it  to  the  native,  and  in  an 
instant,  as  if  by  magic,  the  dogs  forgot  their  wrath,  and  the 
man  his  anger,  and  we  were  left  alone.  We  saw  at  once  that 
we  were  again  the  victims  of  an  abominable  swindle. 

"With  child-like  simplicity,  and  with  all  the  appearance  of 
having  just  performed  a  virtuous  act,  Jehu  now  attempted 
to  persuade  us  to  take  a  drive  out  to  see  the  monkeys  sport- 
ing among  the  trees,  adding  that  it  was  good  fun  to  get 
cocoanuts  from  those  eccentric  creatures.  All  the  stratagem 
that  was  requisite,  he  said,  was  to  throw  stones  at  them, 
when  they,  in  return,  would  aim  cocoanuts  at  our  heads ;  and 
all  danirer  could  be  avoided  by  a  little  dodging  on  our  part. 
We  agreed  to  go,  but  no  sooner  had  we  done  so  than  our 
extortionate  friend  announced  that  it  would  be  impossible 
for  him  to  conduct  us  to  the  abode  of  the  monkeys  unless 
we  first  gave  him  a  little  pecuniary  encouragement.  After 
much  confabulation  this  difficulty  was  at  last  adjusted,  and 
we  were  once  again  in  motion. 

We  rolled  on  through  forests  of  cocoanut  trees,  which 
were  nicked  up  the  sides  to  enable  the  natives  to  climb  them. 
Thousands  of  the  fruit  lay  scattered  upon  the  ground,  and 
we  learned  subsequently  that  the  monkeys  had  clawed  holes 
in  the  "eyes"  of  these  nuts,  in  order  to  get  at  the  milk 


AMONG  TOE  MON'KEYS.  2G5 

inside,  as  they  had  seen  done  by  travelers  and  others  passing 
through  the  forest. 

At  length  we  espied  something  moving  among  the  branches 
of  the  trees — it  was  evidently  some  creature  trying  to  conceal 
itself.  We  guessed  at  once  that  it  was  our  friends  the 
monkeys,  but  did  not  care  to  appear  too  near  them  in  a  hurry. 
Presently  we  saw  one  little  hairy  head,  and  then  another, 
peep  out  from  among  the  branches.  AVe  waved  our  hats, 
and  made  grimaces,  and  threw  a  few  small  stones  at  the 
little  rascals,  who  chattered  and  grinned,  and  then  ran  farther 
up  the  tree ;  but  not  a  single  nut  did  they  throw  down. 

At  first  we  supposed  that  they  took  Jehu,  who  did  not 
look  altogether  unlike  them,  for  one  of  themselves,  and  were 
afraid  of  hurting  liiin  if  they  threw  down  the  fruit;  so  we 
Bent  him  back  to  the  cab.  Then  we  yelled,  and  roared,  and 
hurled  sticks  and  stones  up  into  the  trees  with  all  our  might, 
expecting  that  now  the  nuts  would  fall;  but  all  in  vain. 
The  monkevs  in  some  things  are  almost  as  shrewd  as  men, 
and  we  came  to  the  conclusion  that  this  trick  had  been 
played  upon  them  so  often  that  at  last  they  had  seen  through 
it,  and  did  not  care  to  waste  their  supplies. 

When  we  returned  to  the  cab  I  desired  Jehu  to  drive  us 
to  the  outskirts  of  the  island,  as  we  wished  to  see  somethinor 
of  tlie  natives  living  on  the  coast.  He  accordingly  did  so, 
and  we  were  very  much  interested  in  what  we  saw.  We 
found  the  people  living  in  a  state  little  advanced  beyond 
barbarism,  doing  no  work,  and  caring  as  little  for  to-morrow 
as  the  monkeys  we  had  left  behind  us  in  the  forest.  They 
subsisted  chiefly  upon  roots  and  herbs,  and  moved  from  place 
to  place  as  the  stock  of  food  was  exhausted. 

We  also  examined  their  boats.  They  are  used  as  much 
for  places  of  abode  as  for  a  means  of  transit.  From  end  to 
end  they  measured  about  twenty  feet.  At  one  end  was  a 
fire-place,  and  at  the  other  a  sort  of  awning  made  of  matting, 
which  served  as  a  sleeping-apartment.  There  the  whole 
family  of  six  or  eight  persons,  with  the  dog,  the  cat,  or  any 
other  live  stock  that  happened  to  be  there,  were  accustomed 


266 


NATIVE  LIFE  IN  MALAY. 


to  repose;  while  in  the  middle  of  the  boat  were  stored  the 
various  domestic  utensils.  How  blissfully  lazy,  how  happy 
and  contented  they  seemed,  living  thus  upon  the  bounties  of 
nature  and  drifting  aimlessly  over  the  smooth  waters,  fanned 
by  the  soft  breezes  of  an  eternal  spring ! 


BOAT    LIKE    IN    MALAY. 


Here  and  there  we  espied  some  boats,  larger  than  the  rest, 
and  different  in  appearance.  We  were  informed  that  these 
were  pirates;  and  not  wishing  to  be  in  too  close  proximity 
with  them,  we  returned  inland.  Piracy,  however,  will  not 
long  be  known  on  that  coast,  for  the  settlements  on  the 
laro:er  islands  are  workins;  radical  cliancjes ;  and  English  gun- 
boats  are  teaching  Mohammedan  pirates  that  the  time  is  past 
when  they  could  commit  with  impunity  those  deeds  of 
cruelty  and  rapine  which  have  gained  for  them  such  an 
unenviable  notoriety. 

Toward  night  we  returned  to  our  steamer,  which  resumed 
her  journey  the  next  day. 


CHAPTER   XXIX. 
CEYLO]^'S     ISLE. 

EVERT  revolution  of  the  steamer's  -srheel  now  brought 
us  nearer  our  home,  though  it  was  still  more  than  twelve 
thousand  miles  away.  All  the  afternoon  our  tlioughts  natu- 
rally wandered  to  our  far-distant  native  land;  every  kind  of 
conversation  in  which  we  engaged  invariably  merged  in  this 
same  topic ;  and  when  night  came  on,  it  was  the  subject  of 
our  dreams. 

The  next  morning  all  the  pleasant  scenes  which  had  visited 
our  pillows  while  we  slumbered  were  quickly  dispelled  by  the 
sad  intelligence  that  during  the  night  one  of  our  fellow- 
passengers  hud  slept  his  last  sleep,  and  was  now  about  to  be 
buried  in  the  bosom  of  the  ocean.  "With  serious  faces  we 
hastened  on  deck,  and  found  that  one  of  the  missionaries 
before  referred  to,  had  already  begun  a  brief  service  for  the 
dead.  The  corpse,  wrapped  in  a  winding-sheet,  was  lying 
upon  the  deck,  one  end  of  whicli  projected  over  the  side 
of  the  vessel;  and  the  missionary  was  repeating  those  sacred 
words  "  I  am  the  resurrection  and  the  life."  At  that  moment 
the  other  end  of  the  plank,  which  was  supported  by  two 
sturdy  sailors,  was  slowly  raised,  and  the  body  of  the  sleeper 
sank  to  its  last  resting-place,  in  the  depths  of  the  sea.  Heavy 
leaden  weights  hnd  been  attached  to  it,  in  order  to  ensure 
its  sinking  to  the  bottom,  and  thus  escaping  the  jaws  of  vo- 
racious sharks  which  were  prowling  about  the  vessel. 

We  were  now  sailing  up  the  strait,  between  Malaya  and 
the  Island  of  Sumatra,   with  a  range  of  mountains  on  either 

267 


2GS 


IN  THE  BAY  OF  BENGAL. 


hand.  That  extending  along  the  coast  of  Sumatra  rose  np  in 
grand  proportions,  seeming  at  both  extremities  to  merge  into 
the  infinite,  but  owing  to  its  distance  we  could  see  but  little 
of  the  active  volcanoes  that  heaved  and  exploded  along  its 
sides  and  from  its  peaks.     Two  days  later  we  were  sailing  out 


A    BURIAL    AT    SEA. 


of  tlie  strait  close  to  the  beautiful  Nicobar  Islands  in  the 
Bay  of  Bengal.  These  soon  disappeared,  and  our  noble 
vessel,  bound  for  Ceylon,  ploughed  its  way  through  the  broad 
wilds  of  the  Indian  Ocean. 

A  large  number  of  Dutch  people  joined  us  at  Singapore, 
to  return  to  their  native  land  for  a  few  months  during  the 
unhealthy  season.  Many  of  the  richest  islands  of  the  East 
Indies  belong  to  Holland  ;  and  among  them  are  Java,  Banca, 
and  the  Spice  Islands.  Sumatra,  Celebes,  Borneo,  Timor,  and 
New  Guinea  are  in  partial  possession  of  the  Dutch.  Java 
is  the  chief  commercial  and  political  island  of  the  East  Indies  ; 
its  capital  is  Batavia.     These  Dutch  passengers  were  quite 


THE  FRENCHMAN'S  ORIENTAL  WIFE. 


269 


jolly  and  sociable,  and  told  us  about  vast  quantities  of  coffee, 
sugar,  spices,  pepper,  indigo,  India-rubber,  and  edible  birds' 
nests,  whieb  were  exported  from  Batavia ;  and  of  camphor, 
nutmegs,  cloves  and  guttapercha,  from  Sumatra. 


TUB  SICK    FKKNCHMAN. 


There  was  also  on  board  our  vessel  a  sick  Frenchman, 
returning  to  Europe  for  his  health  which  improved  consider- 
ably during  the  voyage.  He  was  accompanied  by  his  Chinese 
wife  who  bestowed  on  him  much  care  and  attention.  Tiirou^h 
the  livelong  day  she  sat  by  his  bedside  to  attend  to  hig  wants, 
and  when  he  was  able  to  walk  about  a  little,  she  supported 
him  as  best  she  could.  Her  affection  seemed  all  tlie  more 
striking,  since  she  was  brought  along  merely  to  wait  upon 
the  sick  man. 

These  Oriental  wives  are  nearly  always  left  beliind,  but 
semi-oriental  children,  especially  boys,  often  accompany  their 
fathers  to  Europe.  Is  it  that  men  care  more  for  their  children 
than  their  wives?  There  were  many  such  children  on  board 
our  vessel,  some  from  China  and  Japan,  some  from  Farther 
India,  and  some  from  the  East  India  Islands;  their  droll 
games  afforded  me  a  great  deal  of  amusement. 

Taken  altogether  the  passengers  on  our  steamer  at  this 


270 


THE  "SPICY  BREEZES"  OF  CEYLON. 


time  were  a  varied  and  interesting  set,  representing  not 
only  many  nations  and  countries,  but  the  dilf'erent  classes 
thereof.  Conspicious  among  them  were  a  party  of  aristo- 
cratic Malays,  one  of  whom  was  said  to  be  a  genuine  princess. 
In  her  appearance  and  behaviour  she  seemed  worthy  of  the 
high  honor. 


A    PRINCESS    Oi"   MALAY. 


When  we  were  yet  a  hundred  miles  from  Ceylon,  the 
odors  of  cinnamon  and  spices  came  floating  upon  the  breeze ; 
and  in  due  time  this  green  and  beautiful  isle  came  within  our 
view  off  to  the  northwest.  A  little  later,  and  the  city  of 
Point  De  Galle  smiled  upon  us  as  it  sat,  with  its  citadel  and 
light-house,  upon  a  point  of  land  extending  into  the  sea. 
Before  us  the  great  waves  from  the  ocean  were  rolling  into 
the  indented  bay,  dashing  high  upon  the  rocky  beach,  and 
tossimr  the  anchored  vessels  from  side  to  side,  while  their  tall 
masts  swayed  to  and  fro  like  forest  trees  during  a  storm. 

This  port  was  rockj^  and  dangerous,  and  when  a  mile  away 


A  DAZZLING  DISPLAY. 


271 


we  saw  a  pilot,  iu  a  little  boat  rowed  by  a  couple  of  natives, 
coming  to  guide  us  into  the  harbor.  Ilis  boat  was  quite 
narrow  and  very  high  above  the  water,  and  was  kept  from 
being  capsized  by  the  waves,  by  fastening  the  ends  of  two 
long  poles  to  one  side  of  the  boat  while  the  other  ends  were 
fastened  to  a  log  which  floated  alongside. 


v    «• 


THE    PILOT    AiND    IHS    UOAT. 


TVe  were  soon  anchored  safely  in  the  middle  of  the  bay, 
and  scores  of  the  natives,  with  boats  similar  to  those  just 
described,  came  rowing  towards  us.  Some  sought  to  carry 
the  passengers  ashore ;  while  others  came  on  board  to  sell 
articles  of  native  manufacture,  consisting  of  boxes,  baskets, 
canes,  inkstands,  etc.,  made  of  porcupine-quills  or  ebony- 
wood,  or  inlaid  with  tortoise-shell.  Many  of  the  articles 
were  beautifully  carved  and  studded  with  ivory.  There 
were  also  tortoise-shell  chains,  pearls,  jewels,  and,  as  we 
supposed,  precious  stones  of  many  kinds  such  as  topaz,  car- 
buncle, ruby,  the  blue  and  the  red  sapphire,  and  diamonds. 
Altogether,  the  display  of  articles  was  a  dazzling  one. 

Of  course  they  asked  good  round  sums  for  such  costly 
goods,  but  as  all  who  purchased  wished  to  buy  cheap,  the 
prices  were  reduced  to  meet  the  views  of  customers;  and  in 
some  cases  buyers  got  them  at  as  low  rates  as  their  consciences 


272  A  BRAZEN-FACED  INTRUDER. 

would  allow  them  to  offer.  But  all  is  uot  gold  that  glitters. 
It  was  found  out  subsequently  that  the  jewelry  was  plated 
brass,  and  that  the  precious  stones  were  nothing  but  colored 
glass  cut  up  into  small  bits. 

When  Caleb  and  I  went  ashore  we  were  met  at  the  waters' 
edge  by  a  crowd  of  natives  who  seemed  almost  crazy  to  sell 
their  trinkets  and  other  commodities,  or  to  serve  us  in  any 
way  we  saw  fit,  provided  they  could  make  a  little  money 
honestly  or  by  cheating,  it  did  not  appear  to  matter  which. 
Some  offered  themselves  as  guides,  to  pilot  us  through  the 
city ;  others  proposed  vociferously  to  take  us  for  a  drive ; 
others  screamed  out  that  they  could  show  us  to  the  best  shops  ; 
in  fact,  there  was  nothing  that  one  or  another  did  not  shout 
his  willingness  to  perform  in  our  service. 

As  soon  as  we  could  make  ourselves  heard,  we  stated  that 
all  we  wanted  was  a  cab  and  driver;  a  guide  we  did  not 
particularly  care  for.  This  was  soon  arranged,  and  we  set 
out  to  inspect  the  city.  As  we  started,  a  brazen-faced  fellow 
jumped  on  to  the  rear  of  our  vehicle.  We  looked  very  hard 
at  him  to  let  him  know  that  we  considered  his  presence  an 
intrusion,  but  as  our  honest  cabman  paid  no  attention  to  him, 
we  presumed  it  might  be  one  of  the  customs  of  the  country 
for  guides  to  force  themselves  unasked  upon  visitors,  and  so 
we  submitted  with  as  good  grace  as  we  could.  AYe  had  not 
gone  far  when  our  unwelcome  friend,  to  our  great  astonish- 
ment, began  to  address  us  in  English — at  least  his  language 
was  a  sort  of  patois,  part  English,  and  part  something  else, 
which  we  could  very  easily  understand.  It  was  not  long 
before  we  learned  that  this  obliging  gentleman  was  not  a 
guide,  but  simply  a  "  runner  "  for  the  shops.  His  business 
was  to  find  out  newly-arrived  strangers,  introduce  himself 
into  their  company,  and  then  persuade  them  to  visit  the 
shops  by  which  he  Avas  employed ;  and  for  said  services  he 
received  a  certain  percentage  on  all  their  purchases. 

It  was  not  long  before  we  came  to  a  gay-looking  shop 
filled  with  curiosities,  jewelry,  and  gems  of  various  kinds. 
Into  this  our  friend  persuaded  us  to  enter,  and  if  we  had 


TRICKS  OF  THE  TRADE.  273 

taken  Lis  advice  we  should  have  emptied  half  the  shelves  of 
their  glittering  baubles.  We  were,  however,  deaf  to  all  his 
seductive  arts,  and  after  making  a  general  survey,  entered 
our  cab  once  again.  As  we  drove  on,  our  would-be  guide 
freely  offered  his  advice.  Sometimes  we  came  to  stores 
which,  to  «B,  had  all  the  appearance  of  being  really  first-class, 
but  the  guide  shouted  loudly  "  No  good  !  no  good  ! " — at  the 
same  time  pointing  to  some  other  establishment  beyond,  into 
which  he  proposed  we  should  immediately  enter. 

We  knew  his  tricks  by  this  time,  and  M'ould  not  be  put 
off";  but  even  then  he  was  sharp  enough  to  take  advantage 
of  us.  More  than  once  when  we  insisted  upon  going  into 
some  handsome-lookini;  store  or  other,  with  which  our  friend 
had  no  connection,  after  endeavoring  all  he  could  to  persuade 
us  not  to  enter,  he  placed  himself  in  front  of  us,  and  bowing 
with  profound  reverence  to  the  proprietor  of  the  establish- 
ment, pointed  to  us,  intimating  that  he  had  brought  some 
customers,  and  as  a  matter  of  course  would  expect  a  suitable 
gratuity  if  we  purchased  anything. 

We  expected  that  when  we  dismissed  the  cab,  our  friend 
would  look  for  some  small  gratuity  in  return  for  his  valuable 
(?)  advice  and  assistance.  This  we  were  prepared  to  give 
him,  but  were  perfectly  astonished  when  he  coolly  demanded 
a  fee  of  five  rupees. 

''"What!"  we  both  exclaimed,  "five  rupees  for  playing 
'guide!'  Why,  you  are  nothing  but  a  shop-runner.  We 
engaged  this  cab  for  ourselves  alone,  and  here  you  have  been 
riding  in  it  all  the  afternoon.  It  is  yoit  who  must  give  us 
five  rupees."  Saying  which,  I  held  out  my  hand  for  the 
money,  to  his  utter  amazement. 

The  honest  driver  then  thought  that  he  was  called  on  to 
say  something,  expecting,  of  course,  a  percentage  of  what 
the  runner  would  receive.  Pointing  to  the  latter,  he 
shouted  : — 

*'  He  guide  !  he  guide !  " 

We  now  turned   round  and  walked  off,  as  if  we  did  not 
intend  to  pay  either  of  them.     This  startled  the  cabman,  who 
began  to  change  bis  note,  crying: — 
17 


274 


AN  INSULTED  RUNNER. 


"He  no  guide!  he  no  guide!" 

The  runner  was  insulted,  and  immediately  a  fierce  war  of 
•words  began  between  tlie  two ;  each,  in  a  way  that  was  utterly 
ludicrous  to  the  by-standers,  hurling  at  the  other  the  very 
ugliest  and  most  defamatory  words  that  their  vocabulary 
contained.  Such  abuse  I  never  heard  before ;  and  about 
Buch  a  trifle,  too ! 


A    WAR    OF    MORDS. 


There  they  stood,  jabbering  like  lunatics,  cursing  and 
Bwearing,  and  uttering  the  most  horrible  threats  that  they 
had  not  the  slightest  idea  of  putting  into  execution.  It 
reminded  me  of  a  quarrel  which  1  had  at  school  when  the 
"other  boy"  and  myself  were  equally  valiant  in  wordy  defi- 
ance, and  equally  afraid  of  each  other  at  heart.  But  we 
grew  tired  of  the  noisy  confab  at  last;  so  we  paid  the  driver 
according  to  agreement,  threw  the  "  guide  "  a  rupee,  and  then 
left  them  to  make  it  up  or  fight  it  out,  just  as  they  pleased. 

We  now  wandered  down  the  street  toward  the  vessel. 
Scores  of  natives,  with  their  trinkets,  followed  in  our  track, 
and  swarmed  about  us.  One  of  them  had  three  parrots  in  a 
small  bamboo  cage,  for  which,  cage  and  all,  he  asked  six 
shillings.  Although  this  heathen  could  talk  English  about  as 
well  as  a  monkey  can  eat  sauer-kraut  without  grinning,  yet 
he  knew  the  names  of  the  principal  coins,  and  could  make  a 


WE  BUT  PARROTS. 


275 


couple  of  Christians  understand  a  few  tilings  by  signs.  AVe 
did  not  want  liis  parrots,  but  he  followed  along  showing  us 
how  nicely  they  ate  sugar-cane.  Presently  he  took  one  from 
the  cage,  letting  it  walk  up  his  arm,  on  to  his  shoulder;  but 
as  we  didn't  buy,  he  reduced  his  price  by  degrees  until  it  was 
only  a  shilling!  At  last,  fearful  lest  he  might  give  them  to 
us  unless  we  purchased,  we  handed  him  the  money,  and  took 
the  birds. 

On  arriving  aboard  the  vessel  we  opened  the  door  of 
the  cage  to  play  with  our  pets,  whereupon  two  of  them 
immediately  flew  away,  showing  that  they  were  not  very 
tame  after  all.  We  gave  the  remaining  bird  to  a  queer- 
looking  fellow  whose  brain  was  slightly  unbalanced,  and  who 
naturally  enough  had  taken  a  liking  to  parrots. 


ONE    Of    OUK    PASStNGKRS. 


CHAPTER    XXX. 
EAMBLES  IN  AND  AROl^D  CEYLON. 

I  FANCIED  wlien  a  boy  that  Ceylon  was  the  very  next 
place  to  heaven.  Its  spicy  breezes  and  gorgeous  scenery 
had  become  familiar  to  me  through  the  beautiful  liymn  by 
Reginald  Ileber,  and  as  we  approached  its  shores  I  almost 
imaii^ined  that  we  were  drawinj;  near  to  the  abodes  of  the 
blest.     1  was,  however,  destined  soon  to  be  undeceived. 

The  day  after  we  landed,  Dot  showed  us  the  forts  built  by 
the  Portuguese,  Dutch,  and  English,  M-ho  each  in  turn  have 
possessed  the  island.  At  present  it  is  under  English  rule, 
and  the  armed  fortifications  and  the  presence  of  the  huge 
guns,  the  piles  of  cannon-balls,  and  the  sentinels  pacing  to 
and  fro,  give  it  nnything  but  a  poetical  or  celestial  aspect. 
It  began  to  dawn  upon  us  that  we  should  be  greatly 
disappointed  in  our  visit  to  this  famous  island. 

In  the  streets  of  the  city  we  met  with  some  jugglers,  and 
to  drive  away  the  feeling  of  ennui  which  began  to  oppress 
us,  we  requested  them  to  give  us  a  short  performance. 
Immediately  one  of  theju  fell  upon  his  knees  in  the  street 
and  opened  a  red  bundle,  out  of  which  rolled  a  number  of 
balls  covered  with  red  leather;  while  a  boy,  who  I  presumed 
was  his  son,  blew  vigorously  on  a  large  horn.  In  unison 
with  the  music,  the  father  struck  the  balls  with  his  stick, 
jabbering  to  them  the  movements  they  were  to  take  in  the 
dance,  just  as  if  they  could  understand  what  he  said ;  and 
they  really  seemed  to  do  so  from  the  way  they  obeyed  orders. 

After  that  he  scolded  at  the  balls  and  they  all  mysteriously 

270 


SIDEWALK  JCGGLERS. 


277 


disappeared,  as  if  hidinor  themselves;  bat  when  he  spoke 
ao"ain  they  seemed  to  come  from  his  mouth  like  words  rolling 
from  his  tongne.  Then  he  swallowed  them  all,  and  they 
shortlv  appeared  on  his  breast,  one  after  another,  and  were 
extracted  like  huge  bullets  lodged  just  under  the  skin. 


THE    MYSTERIOUS    BALLS. 


Another  juggler  pointed  out  a  particular  spot  on  the 
ground  and  then  covered  it  for  a  few  moments  with  his 
mantle;  then  he  snatched  the  garment  up,  and  a  shrub  was 
seen  just  peering  through  the  ground.  lie  then  alternately 
covered  and  uncovered  the  shrub  several  times,  and  before  it 
had  been  above  ground  ten  minutes  it  had  grown  into  a  little 
tree  thirty  inches  high. 

AVe  turned  from  such  vain  delusions  as  these  to  watch  a 
traveling  menagerie,  for  such  things  are  sometimes  met  with 
even  in  Ceylon.  The  procession,  consisting  of  one  man 
carrvino'  a  casre  containinc:  two  small  birds  and  a  white 
mouse,  moved  grandly  along  till  it  reached  us,  and  then  halted 
to  give  an  exhibition.     The  doors  of  the  cage  were  thrown 


278  -A-  TRAVELING  MENAGERIE. 

back,  and  one  of  the  birds  was  taken  out  and  placed  in  a 
chariot,  on  its  back,  with  its  feet  upwards.  The  other  bird 
walked  out  of  the  cage,  put  its  breast  against  a  cross-piece  in 
the  shafts  of  the  chariot,  and  pulled  it  toward  their  little 
home.  Then  a  cannon  was  fired ;  the  recumbent  bird  jumped 
to  his  feet,  and  both  beat  a  hasty  retreat  into  the  cage. 

The  second  scene  now  opened.  A  flag-pole  was  erected, 
and  a  flag  attached  to  its  summit  was  unfurled  to  the  breeze. 
The  mouse  marched  out,  and  ascended  up,  and  up,  until  at 
the  very  top  !  The  audience  watched  with  breathless  atten- 
tion .  The  flag-staft'  was  lifted  from  its  socket  and  carried 
gently  but  safely  to  the  ground ;  and  a  murmur  of  applause 
ran  through  the  audience  as  the  flag  was  borne  triumphantly 
to  the  cage  by  the  patriotic  cheese-eater. 

After  witnessing  the  show,  we  hired  two  carriages,  lest  one 
of  them  should  break  down.  I  think  the  Dutch  must  have 
brought  those  carriages  to  the  island  about  a  century  ago. 
As  we  passed  along  the  shore,  the  foam  of  the  breakers 
splashed  over  the  cocoanut  trees  which  grew  down  to  the 
edge  of  the  sea.  Rolling  out  under  their  dense  foliage  we 
passed  many  a  hut  which  did  not  appear  larger  than  a  hen- 
coop, the  roof  and  sides  being  covered  with  palm  leaves. 
The  inmates  were  happy,  unambitious,  and  contented  as  the 
tropical  birds  which  revelled  in  the  forest,  making  it  vocal 
with  their  notes,  as  they  basked  in  the  light  of  their  own 
gaudy  plumage. 

The  tropical  growth  soon  became  so  delightfully  monoto- 
nous and  heavy  that  we  would  have  given  almost  anything 
to  have  seen  the  groves  and  meadows  of  our  own  native  land, 
which  change  with  the  seasons.  But  here  no  changes  come. 
Here  an  eternal  summer  reigns,  while  the  lazy  ox  and  sleepy 
elephant  graze  quietly  on  through  a  never-ending  spring. 

Finally  we  arrived  at  the  Cinnamon  Gardens  and  Wauk- 
walle.  Here  lived  a  couple  of  Portuguese  descended  through 
three  centuries  from  the  old  rulers  of  the  island.  At  the 
houses  of  both,  cheap  drinks  could  be  bought  at  enormous 
prices.     There  were  pointed  out  to  us  gangs  of  deformed 


IN  THE  GROVES  OF  CEYLON. 


279 


natives,  for  whom  the  proprietors  of  the  establishments  made 
piteous  appeals,  begging  qs  to  give  them  a  few  pennies. 
Having  already  through  sympathy  contributed  to  some  with 
eyes  turned  wrong  side  out,  and  some  with  shrivelled  legs, 
we  reasoned  the  case  with  the  proprietors  of  this  suffering 


^^-^' 'Mlf  «- 


;^^^n\>UiV. 


MANY    OF   THEM    IMPROVED    SURPRISINGLY. 


throng,  telling  them  that  these  natives  had  no  nee  for  money ; 
that  they  could  live  on  the  natural  products  of  the  soil ;  and 
as  for  clothes,  they  could  go  to  the  wharf  and  beg  some 
more  old  sacks  and  mats  to  throw  round  them ;  or  if  they 
desired  something  better,  they  could  sell  some  fruit  to  the 
vessels  or  some  cocoanuts  to  the  oil-mills.     But  one  of  the 


280  ADAM'S  PEAK, 

Portuguese  gentlemen  quietly  remarked  that  their  present 
mode  of  life  evidently  pleased  these  poor  creatures  best,  and 
that  they  were  unfitted  for  any  other — as  we  could  see. 

"With  that  we  walked  out  under  the  trees;  and  were 
surprised  to  see  the  poor  cripples  recover  sufficiently  to 
follow.  Many  of  them  improved  surprisingly  in  a  very  short 
time,  and  were  able  to  climb  the  trees,  throw  us  down  bread- 
fruit, pumpkins,  and  nutmegs;  and  to  cut  branches  of 
cinnamon  and  camphor,  which  they  brought  down  for  us  to 
smell,  taste,  and  buy  for  walking-sticks.  To  show  us  that 
the  branches  would  not  loose  their  odors,  they  were  continu- 
ally scraping  their  own  old  walking-sticks — cut  from  the  same 
trees — and  sticking  them  under  our  noses  that  we  might 
judge  for  ourselves. 

We  passed  on  to  the  summit  of  a  neighboring  hill  where 
we  obtained  a  fine  view  of  the  surrounding  country.  An 
occasional  opening  revealed  a  rice  field,  but  beyond  were 
the  dense  forests  where  both  foreigners  and  natives  went  to 
luint  the  wild  elephant  for  the  sake  of  liis  tusks.  In  the 
distance  rose  up  Adam's  Peak,  which  was  alike  sacred  to  the 
Buddhists  and  Mohammedans.  They  say,  that  when  Adam 
left  Paradise  he  used  this  peak  and  the  boulders  lying  here 
and  there  in  the  channel  as  stepping  stones  to  the  mainland. 
As  a  proof  they  show  the  visitor,  near  the  summit  of  the 
peak,  the  rude  imprints  of  a  foot  as  long  as  a  man's.  It  is 
carefully  guarded  and  protected  from  the  weather  by  priests, 
■who  spend  their  lives  in  this  place,  and  are  always  willing  to 
show  the  miraculous  footprint  to  strangers. 

Just  as  we  were  leaving  this  interesting  place,  a  native 
presented  himself  with  a  printed  card  indicating  that  it  was 
customary  to  give  a  certain  sum  for  the  privilege  of  visiting 
the  gardens.  This  eternal  begging  in  one  form  or  other  was 
becoming  a  nuisance ;  so  we  gravely  shook  our  beads,  and 
told  the  driver  to  go  on.  Upon  this  a  number  of  impudent 
rascals  caught  the  bridle  of  our  ponies,  Baying  that  we  ehould 
not  depart  till  they  were  satisfied. 


A  SECRET  SOCIETY. 


281 


At  this   demonstration   Dot  exclaimed  "It  is   a   d d 

fraud!"  and  thereupon  we  all  jumped  to  the  ground  and 
started  on  afoot,  leaving  our  driver  to  get  off  as  he  could. 
He  soon  overtook  us,  however,  and  we  resumed  our  seats 
and  returned  to  the  city. 


CETLON    A    i'RAUD. 


Dot's  emphatic  expression  that  the  thing  was  "  a  fraud," 
brought  vividly  to  my  mind  an  incident  of  my  younger  days, 
which  I  will  here  relate. 

"While  I  was  attending  college  a  young  gentleman  made 
his  appearance,  and  at  once  attracted  the  attention  of  the 
students.  lie  wished  to  be  looked  npon  as  a  fast  young 
man,  and  considered  himself  the  smartest  fellow  in  the  world. 
He  had  a  great  ambition  to  join  a  secret  society  to  which 
many  of  the  students  belonged,  and  having  scraped  acquaint- 
ance with  some  of  us  he  wanted  to  be  proposed  for  member- 
Bhip.  We  held  a  consultation,  told  him  we  would  make  it 
all  right  for  him,  and  he  went  straight  away  and  told  all  his 
friends  that  he  was  going  to  be  initiated.  Of  course  we 
only  intended  to  get  some  fun  out  of  him. 

Next  day  the  time  was  appointed;  he  was  to  meet  us  at 


282 


THE  "FIRST  DEGREE." 


an  old  deserted  foundry,  a  little  distance  outside  the  city — 
time,  half  past  nine  at  night.  At  that  hour  ten  or  fifteen  of 
us  groped  our  way  down  the  dark  hollow  in  which  the 
foundry  stood.  It  was  about  as  dreary  a  spot  as  could  well 
be  imagined.  "We  found  our  victim  sitting  on  a  stone 
waiting  for  us.  We  whispered  in  a  mysterious  manner  that 
it  was  necessary  to  blindfold  him.     This  done,  we  began  to 


INITIATING    A    CANDIDATE. 


march  him  up  and  down,  giving  him  the  idea  that  we  were 


gom 


sr   an   immense    distance.     We   led    him   into   all    the 


unearthl}'  places  we  could  think  of,  dragged  him  through 
mud  and  mire,  pulled  him  over  fences,  marched  him  into 
cellars  of  unoccupied  houses,  dumped  him  down  upon  a 
sleeping  cow  or  two,  and  finally  landed  him  among  the 
inmates  of  a  pig-sty,  causing  a  great  excitement  and  noise 
therein. 

Then  we  hurried  him  forward  again,  and  took  him  a  mile 
or  two  up  the  ravine.  By  this  time  we  were  pretty  well 
tired  out ;  so  we  made  him  sit  down  under  a  big  tree,  and 
began  the  questioning  part  of  the  performance,  and  as  he 
judged  it  his  duty  to  be  very  frank  and  truthful  in  answering 
our  questions,  his  replies  gave  us  great  amusement.  After 
the  confession  was  ended,  we  bade  him  remain  perfectly 
motionless  while  we  went  a  little  distance  to  arrange   the 


THE  "SECOND  DEGREE." 


2S3 


"  second  degree.''  How  long  he  sat  there  shivering  I  don't 
know,  but  it  was  subsequently  reported  that  he  was  not  seen 
at  home  till  past  midnight. 

We  saw  nothing  of  him  the  next  day,  but  late  at  night  as 
I  was  on  my  way  home  from  a  "  meeting"  of  the  society  when 
going  by  a  lonesome  place  I  heard  a  rustle  in  the  direction 
of  a  hedge,  and  soon  a  dim  form  emerged  therefrom.  It 
drew  nearer — a  monstrous  club  was  in  its  hand.  The  terri- 
ble words — "  It's  a  d d  fraud  !  "  fell  upon  my  ear,  and 

the  next  instant  I  was  running  for  life,  for  I  knew  what 
those  words  meant.  The  form  followed  ;  nearer  and  nearer 
it  came,  its  huge  club  uplifted,  and  fearful  deimnciations 
proceeding  from  its  mouth.  1  was  near  home  now ;  but  a 
neighbor's  yard  was  nearer,  and  I  jumped  over  the  fence 
just  in  time  to  escape  the  descending  blow.  Into  the  wood- 
house  I  ran,  and  closed  the  door  after  me.  There  was  a 
terrific  pounding  outside  for  a  few  moments;  then  a  pause; 

then  the  ominous  words,  "It's  a  d d  fraud"  again  fell 

on  my  ears,  followed  by  retreating  footsteps. 

I  concluded,  however,  that  it  would  be  better  for  my 
health  to  remain  where  I  was,  and  so  I  made  a  night  of  it. 


CHAPTEPv  XXXI. 
EASTERN  CIVILIZATION— THE  BRAHMINS. 

WHILE  in  Ceylon  vre  met  with  a  great  many  persons, 
of  various  nationalities,  whose  conversation  very 
much  interested  us.  Among  others  was  an  American  gen- 
tleman who  seemed  anxious  to  gather  all  the  information  he 
could  respecting  China  and  Japan. 

"  To  what  extent,"  he  asked,  "  docs  the  present  intercourse 
between  America  and  Japan  influence  the  national  life  of  the 
Japanese  ? " 

"  To  a  very  great  extent,  as  far  as  we  could  judge  during 
our  short  visit,"  replied  Caleb  ;  '"  Western  ways  are  becoming 
quite  the  rage  among  the  people." 

"And  they  will  be  their  curse,"  replied  our  friend.  "It 
has  been  so  with  every  nation  which  modern  civilization  has 
reached.  What  has  it  done  for  the  tribes  of  North  America  ? . 
What  has  it  done  for  the  natives  of  Mexico  and  South  America  ? 
They  were  farther  advanced  at  the  time  when  the  continent 
was  discovered  than  they  are  to-day.  Then  again,  look  at 
the  Sandwich  Islanders.  Before  the  conjing  of  the  Euro- 
peans they  were  a  happy  and  innocent  people ;  and  Avhat  has 
our  boasted  "  civilization  "  done  for  them  ?  It  has  brought 
civilized  sins  and  civilized  diseases  among  them,  and  has 
demoralized  and  degraded  them  until  from  one  hundred  and 
eixty  thousand  their  numbers  have  decreased  to  sixty  thous- 
and— and  that  too  has  been  the  work  of  but  forty  years." 

"  But,"  questioned  Caleb,  "are  you  sure  that  the  diseases 

you  mention  were  previously  altogether  unknown  among  the 

natives  ? " 

284 


EFFECTS  OF  WESTERN  CIVILIZATION.  285 

"  Certainly,"  was  the  reply  ;  "  it  is  a  well-established  fact. 
Why,  when  the  small-pox,  as  well  as  certain  other  infectious 
diseases  which  I  will  not  specify,  began  their  ravages  in 
China,  the  people  thought  that  sick  persons  were  afflicted 
witii  a  curse  from  the  gods.  At  the  same  time  they  had 
intelligence  enough  to  see  that  the  Europeans  were  the 
instruments  of  propagating  that  curse,  wherever  it  might 
come  from  originally ;  so  they  actually  sent  their  sick  to  the 
European  settlements. 

"  But  I  will  give  you  another  instance,"  he  continued. 
"Before  the  western  trade  was  opened,  the  Chinese  never 
dreamed  of  adulterating  their  teas;  but  they  saw  what 
foreigners  did,  and  realizing  how  profitable  it  was  they 
imitated  and  even  excelled  them.  I  assure  you,  the  advance 
of  crime  is  parallel  with  the  advance  of  what  we  call  "civili- 
zation." Every  new  invention  or  improvement  enlarges  the 
sphere  of  the  criminal  and  puts  fresh  power  to  do  evil  into 
his  hands;  and  the  natives  of  countries  with  which  we  have 
hitherto  had  no  intercourse,  as  soon  as  they  come  in  contact 
with  us  adopt  the  criminal  part  of  our  civilization  long  before 
they  arc  able  to  comprehend  that  which  is  good  in  it.  The 
Chinese,  for  instance,  soon  found  a  use  for  all  the  opium  that 
English  ships  could  bring  them,  but  other  and  useful  drugs, 
or  a  more  rational  pharmacopoeia  tlian  their  own,  they  failed 
to  comprehend.  The  American  Indians,  too,  quickly  learned 
the  use  of  the  white  man's  whiskey  and  the  white  man's 
deadly  fire-arms;  but  the  advantages  of  a  settled  life,  labor, 
agriculture,  education,  and  so  forth,  seemed  quite  beyond 
their  grasp." 

"  Excuse  me,"  said  another  gentleman,  "  I  think  yon  are 
hardly  just  to  western  nations  or  western  governments 
when  you  make  such  broad  and  indiscriminating  statements 
as  these.  Consider  the  noljle  efforts  MJiieh  the  missionaries 
have  made.  Besides  which  the  various  governments  have 
certainly  tried  of  late  to  Christianize  the  heathen  nations 
with  which  they  have  held  intercourse,  and  to  raise  them  to 
a  higher  social  position." 


236  THE  THIRST  FOR  GOLD. 

"I  admit,"  returned  our  friend,  "that  recently  a  very 
great  improvement  has  taken  place  in  this  respect,  but  still  it 
may  very  well  .be  questioned  whether  the  amount  of  good 
attained  is  in  any  degree  proportionate  to  the  amount  of 
means  expended.  As  for  former  times,  why,  men  did  not 
even  pretend  to  be  actuated  by  moral  or  religious  motives 
when  they  explored  or  took  possession  of.  heathen  countries. 
What  but  the  thirst  of  gold  actuated  the  Spaniards  when 
they  took  possession  of  Mexico  and  Peru,  and  reduced  its 
inhabitants, — then  in  a  far-advanced  state  of  civilization — to 
a  condition  of  slavery  and  degradation  ?  What  but  the  same 
motive,  and  the  lust  of  conquest,  led  the  English  to  subjugate 
the  great  Indian  Empire?  Is  it  out  of  love  to  the  natives 
that  France  lias  taken  possession  of  Algeria?  And  is  it 
because  we  Americans  love  the  Redskins  that  we  have  seized 
their  lands,  driven  them  further  and  further  from  their  own 
domains,  and  in  exchange  have  given  them  powder  and 
poison?" 

"  What  you  say  is  true  to  some  extent,"  replied  Caleb, 
"but  still  I  believe  that  the  missionaries  exert  a  great  intlu- 
ence  for  good  when  they  are  not  bound  down  by  government 
patronage,  nor  forced  upon  a  country  by  its  conquerors. 
Though  the  morality  of  the  heathen  is  very  low,  there  is 
much  that  is  good  mingled  even  with  their  superstitions. 
What  we  really  want  is  for  the  heathen  to  retain  all  that  is 
good  in  his  own  system  and  to  add  to  it  the  higher  teachings 
of  Christianity.  Everyone  must  deplore  the  evils  which 
have  accompanied  our  intercourse  with  heathen  nations,  but 
no  one  in  his  senses  would  wish  to  restore  India  to  the  bar- 
barism of  two  centuries  ago,  or  to  give  back  the  North 
American  Continent  to  the  Eedskins.  The  means  adopted 
may  have  been  bad,  but  Providence  has  shaped  the  end  and 
brought  forth  good. 

"It  is  the  advanced  civilization  of  the  West  that  gives  her 
the  power  of  both  wronging  and  benefiting  the  Oriental 
nations.  The  world  is  moving;  and  barbarous  tribes,  inno- 
cent in  their  ignorance  and  powerless  in  their  inferiority, 


AN    INDIAN   MOSQUE. 


i 


I 

4 


ANCIENT  CEREMONIES  IN  THE  TEMPLE.  289 

must  either  be  swept  from  the  track  or  be  carried  forward." 
The  American  gentleman  was  about  to  reply  to  this  long 
epeech  of  Caleb's,  but  I  thought  we  had  had  enough  of  phil- 
osophy and  moralizing,  for  that  day  at  least,  so  I  proposed 
that  we  should  visit  a  neighboring  teuiple  and  witness  some 
of  the  religious  ceremonies  of  the  native  religion  therein. 
To  this  they  agreed.  I  had  been  much  interested  in  the 
opinions  which  our  American  friend  had  expressed,  but  I 
suspected  that  his  sympathies  with  native  wrongs  would 
become  stronger  when  he  left  Ceylon,  for  I  had  observed  that 
resident  foreigners  never  were  very  pathetic  about  the  poor 
harmless  heathen  until  they  were  safely  on  board  the  steamer 
and  on  their  way  home.  It  is  so  everywhere.  In  the  States 
we  talk  of  the  "poor  Indian,"  but  in  the  territories  the  same 
gentleman  is  styled  a  "  treacherous  savage." 

As  we  stood  in  the  temple  we  were  strangely  reminded  of 
the  ancient  ceremonies  among  the  Jews,  for  the  priests 
brought  in  a  number  of  little  boys  belonging  to  the  sacerdotal 
caste  and  invested  them  with  the  privileges  to  which  their 
birth  entitled  them.  These  children  were  but  eight  years  of 
age  ;  to  each  was  given  the  sacred  string  ;  over  each  were  pro- 
nounced the  regenerating  words ;  and  they  were  then  declared 
"  tW' ice-born."  Their  initiation  into  the  mysteries  of  the 
priesthood  began  from  that  day.  When  they  arrived  at 
maturity  it  was  expected  that  their  lives  would  then  be 
moulded  into  the  proper  form,  and  their  passions  all  subdued  ; 
their  hair  and  beard  would  be  cut  off,  they  would  assume  the 
white  mantle,  the  staff  of  Venu  would  be  placed  in  their  hands, 
golden  ear-rings  would  be  given  them,  and  a  copy  of  the 
Yedas,  or  sacred  writings  set  before  them.  Those  writings 
it  would  henceforth  be  their  duty  to  expound ;  besides 
which,  as  holy  men,  they  would  be  expected  to  give  the 
counsel  of  heaven,  and  to  administer  justice,  upon  occasion, 
between  man  and  man. 

Years  after  when  these  boys  became  old  grey-haired  men 
another  scene  of  their  lives  would  open — they  would  become 
hermits  or  devotees.     If  a  priest  becomes  a  hermit  he  betakes 


290 


THE  MYSTERIES  OF  THE  PRIESTHOOD. 


himself  to  the  woods,  and  there  lives  a  life  of  rigid  abstinence, 
mortifying  all  the  passions  and  desires  of  the  flesh.  If  he 
becomes  a  devotee  he  leads  a  life  of  religions  contemplation, 
with  the  view  of  attaining  to  a  state  of  final  beatitude ;  he 
attempts  to  free  himself  from  the  slightest  taint  of  sin  and 
error ;  he  reflects  with  all  the  powers  of  his  mind  upon  the 


A    DKAIIMIN    DEVOTKE. 


mysterious  essence  and  existence  of  the  Supreme  ;  he  contem- 
plates the  time  when  his  own  soul  shall  become  incorporated 
in  the  being  of  the  Deity  ;  in  fact  his  whole  mind  and  soul 
is  abstracted  from  earth  and  fixed  on  heaven. 

We  saw  one  of  these  devotees:  he  was  in  a  sitting  posture 
and  appeared  to  be  wrapped  in  silent  meditation.  If 
familiarity  with  dirt  and  rags  tend  to  extinguish  pride  and 
self-conceit,  he  seemed  likely  to  attain  his  end.  We  Mcnt 
near  him,  but  he  neither  stirred  nor  lifted  up  his  eyes :  he 
was  indifferent  to  all  external  objects,  and  an  utter  stranger 
to  curiosity.     The  people  held  him  in  higli  veneration,  and 


A  RELIGION  OF  CASTE.  291 

brought  him  daily  all  that  he  needed — to  them  it  was  a  sacred 
duty. 

Some  of  the  teachings  of  this  religion — Brahminism — are 
full  of  pathos  and  sublimity,  similar  to  the  doctrines  of  the 
Bible,  but  they  are  seldom  practiced  in  their  entirety.  One 
of  its  worst  features,  the  system  of  caste,  is  the  most  promi- 
nent. The  Brahmin  stands  at  the  liead  of  the  several  classes. 
lie  is  supposed  to  have  sprung  from  the  mouth  of   Brahma. 

The  Kfahatriya,  or  warrior  is  to  defend  tlie  people,  and  ia 
enjoined  to  give  alms,  offer  sacrifices,  read  the  vedas,  and 
guard  against  sensuality,  lie  is  invested  with  the  sacred  cord 
at  the  age  of  eleven — three  years  later  tlian  tlie  little  Brah- 
min— but  his  cord  is  made  of  hemp  while  the  Brahmin's  is 
of  cotton. 

ThcVarsyaor  agriculturist  is  supposed  to  be  chiefly  engaged 
in  the  pursuit  of  riches,  cither  from  tilling  the  soil  or  from 
commerce.  lie  also  is  invested  with  the  sacred  string,  but  at 
the  age  of  twelve,  and  his  string  is  of  wool. 

The  Soodra,  or  man  of  the  lowest  caste,  is  doomed  to  wait 
upon  those  above  him.  lie  receives  no  investiture,  can  never 
change  his  condition,  and  is  treated  with  the  vilest  contumely 
and  contempt,  lie  has  neither  sacrifice  nor  religion  ;  there 
is  no  hope  for  him  in  this  life  or  the  life  to  come. 

Strange  to  say,  this  class,  together  with  those  who  for  some 
atrocious  crime  or  some  unpardonable  sin  against  religion 
have  been  ostracized  from  the  other  castes,  form  the  great 
mass  of  the  people,  and  Mith  them  are  included  all  unmarried 
women — for  unmarried  M'omen  have  no  place  in  the  religion 
of  Brahma.  In  this  respect  it  is  a  religion  of  degradation  far 
beyond  any  human  slavery,  and  utterly  repugnant  to  Chris- 
tianity which  teaches  the  universal  brotherhood  of  mankind 
and  the  equality  of  all. 


18 


CHAPTER  XXXII. 
OVER  THE  ARABIAN  AND  RED  SEAS. 

HAVING  remained  at  Ceylon  iipwards  of  two  weeks,  vrc 
sailed  out  from  its  port  on  a  September  eveninpf,  while 
the  light-house  sent  its  twinkling  rays  after  us  until  we  were 
miles  away.  For  several  days  our  course  was  south-west,  as 
by  sailing  pretty  well  toward  the  equator  we  hoped  to  escape 
the  worst  of  the  monsoon  which  we  should  be  likely  to  en- 
counter further  to  the  north.  On  the  fifth  day  out  our  course 
was  changed  to  the  north-west,  and  we  were  then  within  four 
degrees  of  the  equator.  During  the  first  day  or  two  of  our 
voyage  the  sea  was  not  boisterous,  and  the  time  passed  pleas- 
antly as  we  promenaded  the  deck,  lounged  upon  the  long 
sedan  chairs,  or  chatted  with  passengers  whose  acquaintance 
we  made.  We  talked  with  one  of  the  chief  ofhcers  of  a 
British  company  extensively  engaged  in  laying  ocean  cables, 
who  was  returning  home  on  a  short  visit.  At  that  time  his 
com]mny  was  laying  a  cable  from  Singapore  to  connect  Eng- 
land with  hcrpoissssions  in  Australia  by  a  lino  already  extend- 
ing from  Europe  down  the  Red  Sea,  across  to  India,  and 
from  there  to  Singapore.  In  a  little  u})wards  of  a  year  after- 
wards, this  line  was  completed  so  that  several  of  the  East  India 
Islands,  and  even  the  southern  ]>art  of  Australia,  beyond  her 
burning  sands,  were  connected  by  the  magic  telegrai>h,  with 
tl«3  civilized  world.  The  line  to  Singapore  had  already  been 
extended  up  the  eastern  coast  of  Asia,  and  across  to  Nagasaki 
in  Japan,  so  that  messages  sent  from  there  in  the  morning 
might  be  received  at  San  Francisco  on  the  same  day. 

292 


LIFE  IN  THE  JUNGLES. 


293 


On  onr  vessel  were  some  Englishmen  wlio  had  been  linnt- 
ing  in  India  for  sport,  and  were  returning  h(»me  by  way  of 
Ceylon.  They  had  much  to  say  of  their  e.\])eriences  in  the 
■\vilds  of  India;  and  one  day  a  powerful  fellow,  wliom  they 
called  Doctor,  told  us  the  fullowingyarn :  — 

"On  one  occasiuii  as  \vc  were  out  hunting  among  the 
jungles  in  the  central  part  of  India,  we  were  suddenly  startled 
by  a  terrible  noise  which  seemed  to  come  from  a  spot  a  few 
liundrcd  paces  in  front  of  us.  It  was  a  growling  and  a  roar- 
ini;  noise,  as  though  the  muttering  thunders  were  risin<x  from 
the  earth!  We  climbed  a  small  emmence  close  by,  and  as 
our  eyes  turned  toward  a  cii'cular  plateau  not  far  away,  we 


A  FIGHT  IN  THE  JUNGLE. 

saw  that  a  tiger  and  a  lion  were  grap|)lod  in  deadly  contest, 
and  rolling  and  tumbling  on  the  ground.  We  huriied  on 
through  the  brush  till  we  came  to  the  edge  of  the  plateau, 
where  we  were  so  close  upon  them,  that  we  could  see  their 
great  glaring  eyes  and  wide  S])read  mouths,  as  eacli  shook  and 
tore  the  other,  while  blood  ran  freely  on  both  sides.  After 
a  light,  seemingly  of  an  hour,  the  tiger  f^!l  backward,  the 
lion  instantly  grasped  liini  by  the  throat,  and  the  conflict  M-as 
soon  ended  by  the  death  of  the  tiger.  The  lion  loosed  liis 
hold,  and  stood  gazing  u'pon  Ids  prey  as  if  in  meditation  ;  but 
it  was  only  a  moment,  for  wo  ])onre(La  fall  volley  into  liim,  and 
he  too  fell  dead  upon  tlie  ground." 


29i  BEAR-HUNTING  IN  THE  HIMALAYAS. 

Some  of  the  party  then  told  us  of  a  combat  they  had  seen 
between  a  wild  boar  and  a  lion,  which  resulted  in  the  latter 
being  ripped  open  by  the  great  tusks  of  the  former.  They 
declared  that  the  boar  was  fully  a  match  for  either  the  lion  or 
the  tiger,  and  that  upon  being  npproached  by  the  hunter  on 
horseback,  this  animal  frequently  turned  upon  his  enemies, 
cutting  the  horse's  legs  to  the  bone,  and  sometimes  despatch- 
ing him  in  an  instant;  or  should  the  horse  wheel  in  time  to 
get  out  of  his  way,  it  was  a  very  close  race  for  a  few  minutes, 
although  the  boar  would  seem  to  be  incapable  of  lleetness. 
The}'  further  remarked  that  during  the  day-time  the  lion  and 
the  tiger  were  rather  timid,  and  generally  remained  concealed  ; 
but  at  night  they  came  from  their  hiding  i)lace3  and  prowled 
around  with  great  bo'dne.-s.  They  would  spring  ni)on  cattle 
and  hor?e>,  and  toward  morning  the  tiger,  if  his  a]>petite  re- 
mained unsatiated,  Avould  attack  the  elephant.  This  animal 
would  sometimes  use  his  trunk  with  such  force  that  only  a 
few  blows  were  required  to  drub  the  life  out  of  his  assailant, 
or  to  bring  him  to  the  ground,  where  he  would  pin  him  with 
his  tusks. 

These  parties  had  also  been  bear-hunting  at  the  foot  of  the 
Himalayas.  As  they  commenced  to  speak  of  their  bear  hunts, 
one  stout-looking  man  who  was  all  scarred  up,  began  to  speak 
more  f  I'cely  than  usual ;  said  he : — 

''  One  day  as  we  were  out  hunting,  I  became  separated 
some  little  distance  from  the  rest  of  the  party  and  pretty  soon 
I  esi)ied  a  large  bear  in  the  adjoining  brush.  As  I  was  ambi- 
tious to  kill  him  myself,  I  fired  upon  him,  but  I  oidy  inflicted 
a  slight  wound,  and  he  at  once  "came  for  me."  In  my  haste 
to  reload  I  made  no  headway  ;  everything  went  wrong,  and 
he  was  upon  me  before  I  was  ready.  I  called  for  help,  and 
contrived  to  run  the  gun-biirrel  down  his  throat,  but  he  gave 
liis  head  a  twist,  and  it  slipped  out.  Then  his  great  claws 
seized  my  breast  and  shoulders,  tearing  deep  into  the  flesh,  and 
just  as  his  mouth  was  opening  upon  my  face,  I  jerked  the 
dagger  from  my  belt,  plunged  it  into  his  stomach,  and  with  a 
nerve  unknown  before,  ripped  him  open  !  We  tumbled  upon 


WILDAIR'S  YARN.  295 

the  ground  together,  and  there  we  lay  struggling  as  the  boys 
came  up,  but  they  quickly  put  a  bullet  into  hiin  which  finished 
him." 

These  remarks  brought  to  mind  a  night's  experience  while 
Caleb  and  I  were  in  the  mountains  of  Colorado,  and  I  related 
it  as  follows,  as  an  oft'set  to  the  bear  t-tory. 

"The  mountains  were  infested  Avith  wild  animals  and 
Indians  and  were  thinly  settled,  so  that  frequently  we  were 
obliged  to  camp  out.  On  one  occasion  after  riding  till  late 
at  ni^rht  without  cominj;  to  a  house,  we  built  a  fire  amonjj:  the 
fallen  pines,  collected  some  leaves  for  a  bed,  and  lay  down  to 
sleep.  Towards  morning  I  was  startled  from  mj'  slumbers  by 
a  noise  as  of  approaching  feet,  and  immediately  awoke  Caleb. 
Neither  of  us  spoke;  but  in  an  instant  we  were  on  our  knees 
and  elbows  with  cocked  revolvers  in  our  hands.  The  tread 
was  among  the  leaves  under  some  trees  not  far  up  the  hill. 
What  cau>ed  it  ?  man  or  beast?  The  fire  had  almost  died  out, 
sending  a  liickei'ing  light  only  a  few  feet  into  the  surrounding 
darkness.  The  thought  flitted  through  my  mind  : — If  it  be 
an  animal  we  had  better  stir  the  fire  to  keep  it  at  bay,  but  if 
it  is  a  man  the  light  would  only  give  him  a  better  aim. 

*•  The  tread  appeared  to  be  that  of  a  four-footed  beast,  but 
still  M'e  were  not  certain.  It  seemed  to  walk  from  side  to  side, 
but  all  the  while  coming  neai-er  and  nearer.  Then  it  halted, 
and  thinking  I  caught  a  glimpse  of  its  form,  I  whispered: — 

*"  I'm  ijoino:  to  fire  ! ' 

"*  No,  no  ! '  said  Caleb,  '  wait  for  closer  contact.' 

"Just  then  I  ventured  to  reach  out  my  trembling  foot  and 
stir  a  brand  of  the  fire ;  a  blaze  instantly  shot  high  into  the 
air,  lightinir  up  the  scene  and  giving  us  a  good  view  of  the  in- 
truder. "We  shrank  back  to  rest  crest-fallen,  though  greatly 
relieved,  for  it  was  only  an  innocent  squirrel  turning  over  the 
leaves  in  search  of  an  early  breakfast." 

When  we  were  a  few  days  out  from  Ceylon  the  ocean  grew 
rough  so  that  the  vessel  plunged  and  rolled  at  a  fearful  rate. 
The  oncoming  gale  rapidly  increased,  and  all  night  long  the 
timbers  groaned  and  creaked  under  the  storm.    Next  morning 


290  A  STORM  AT  SEA.  ' 

a  few  of  the  women  managed  to  get  on  deck  by  holding  to  this 
and  that,  but  when  once  there  did  not  attempt  to  move;  while 
the  men  were  seen  staggering  about  as  they  tried  to  go  from 
one  place  to  another.  When  the  vessel  rolled  to  one  side,  the 
men  who  were  moving  about  balanced  themselves  upon  one 
foot,  while  the  other  sometimes  presented  the  appearance  of 
attempting  to  kick  sideways  at  the  person  who  stood  nearest. 
Again  they  grabbed  at  a  bench  or  mast,  or  at  the  railing  on 
the  upper  side,  but  when  too  slow,  went  skimming  down  to 
the  opposite  side;  or  occasionally  two  ran  into  each  other 
and  fell  upon  the  deck,  to  slide,  and  tumble,  and  roll  together 
till  they  reached  the  protecting  railing  on  the  lower  side. 

By  noon  all  of  the  fair  sex  on  deck  were  driven  below. 
In  the  afternoon  the  storm  was  still  increasing,  and  we  sat 
with  our  sedan  chairs  crosswise  of  the  vessel  to  prevent  their 
upsetting.  Every  now  and  then  came  a  larger  wave  than 
usual,  and  then,  as  the  deck  was  wet  and  slippery,  away  we 
went  abreast,  like  a  score  of  sleighs  down  the  steep  side  of  an 
iceberg,  increasing  our  speed  till  the  lower  railing  was  reached. 
"We  finally  adopted  a  new  plan,  and  that  was  to  tie  our  chairs 
to  something  permanent ;  when  they  were  thus  fastened  we 
sat  down  again,  and  all  went  happy  till  by-and-by  came  a 
large  wave  and  swept  away  one  chair  and  its  occupant  to  the 
other  side  of  the  deck.  The  crowd  enjoyed  it,  but  the  fellow 
looked  rather  sheepish  as  he  brought  his  chair  baclv,  and  tied 
it  over  again. 

The  Doctor,  the  hero  of  the  tiger  story, was  up  to  all  kinds 
of  pranks,  and  he  now  slyly  slipped  his  hand  around,  untied 
the  same  chair,  as  he  had  before  done,  and  away  his  victim 
went  a  second  time,  at  which  the  crowd  again  applauded. 
The  chair  was  again  fastened,  but  just  as  our  hunter  was  at- 
tempting the  trick  for  the  third  time,  some  one  untied  Jiim 
and  away  he  shot,  coming  with  a  crash  to  the  deck,  where  he 
sprawled  among  tlie  broken  pieces  of  a  demoralized  chair ! 
The  crowd  again  roared  and  shouted,  but  just  as  the  Doctor 
had  picked  himself  up  and  was  holding  on  to  a  post,  a  gigan- 
tic wave  came  pouring  over  the  side  of  the  vessel,  breaking 


FUN  ON  DECK. 


297 


loose  many  a  chair,  and  washing  them  and  their  inmates  in  a 
torrent  against  the  lower  railing,  -where  they  all  tumbled  in- 
gloriously  upon  the  watery  deck.  When  half  way  down  the 
inclined  plane,  the  chair  of  one  passenger  upset  and  left  him 
sprawling  on  his  back  whence  he  was  washed  to  the  foot  of  the 
hill  and  completely  saturated  by  the  oncoming  tide.  I  never 
could  make  Caleb  believe  that  this  passenger  wasn't  Wildair, 
although  I  tried  hard  to  do  so. 


ErrECTS  OF  COMINO  ON  TIED. 


As  soon  as  the  wave  had  passed  on  through  the  railing,  the 
drenched  crowd  scrambled  up,  some  with  a  hearty  laugh, 
others,  whose  hats  were  overboard,  with  a  put-on  grin,  while 
the  Doctor,  who  had  almost  entirely  escaped  by  jumping  onto 
a  bench  and  clinging  to  his  post,  swung  his  hat  ecstatically 
as  we  all  beat  a  dripping  retreat  to  the  cabin  below.  During 
the  night  the  storm  somewhat  abated. 


298  ADEN,  ARABIA. 

On  tlie  seventh  day  of  our  voyage  we  were  leaving  tne 
monsoon-tossed  waters  of  the  Indian  Ocean  and  Arabian  Sea, 
and  steaming  up  between  Asia  and  Africa.  The  waters 
became  smoother  and  smoother,  so  that  in  the  evening  not  a 
ripple  was  to  be  seen  on  their  surface.  Our  vessel,  which 
during  the  previous  days  had  tossed  and  worried  so  constant- 
ly, seemed  now  to  be  calmly  sleejting  as  upon  the  bosom  of  a 
Emooth  lake;  while  with  bright  lights  upon  deck,  the  passen- 
gers danced  and  sang  to  music  as  merrily  as  if  at  home. 
Araby  the  blest  was  on  our  right  hand,  and  on  our  left  was 
the  desolate  lookino'  coast  of  Africa. 

Two  days  after  this  we  arrived  at  Aden,  Arabia,  the  an- 
cient port  near  the  foot  of  the  Ecd  Sea.  This  ])lace  was  cap- 
tured by  tiie  British  in  1839,  and  since  that  time  has  been  to 
them  a  second  Gibraltar.  It  is  thrown  open  as  a  free  port, 
and  as  h  h  situated  about  half  way  between  Bombay  and  Suez, 
nearly  all  passing  vessels  stop  there  to  coal.  As  we  approach- 
ed, high  towering  rocks  rose  up  almost  perpendicular  from 
the  water's  edge  to  the  height  of  1700  feet,  presenting  a  very 
imposing  appearance.  "VVe  soon  discovered  that  this  was  a 
volcanic  promontory  or  peninsula  projecting  into  the  waters, 
and  only  connected  with  the  mainland  by  a  low  narrow 
neck  of  sandy  earth.  A  few  European  houses  and  shops 
were  collected  toward  the  extreme  point  Mhere  we  anchored; 
while  Aden  itself  was  situated  about  three  miles  further  on 
in  the  direction  of  the  mainland. 

We  did  not  go  ashore  till  the  next  morning,  at  which  time 
we  were  met  by  scores  of  Arabs  who  desired  to  take  ns  into 
the  city.  Some  of  the  passengers  concluded  to  ride  in  cabs, 
others  on  donkeys.  As  it  was  very  hot,  Caleb  and  1  preferred 
the  cabs;  and  after  getting  into  one  away  we  went  belter 
skelter,  for  the  horses  attached  to  the  vehicles  were  real  Arabi- 
an liorses,  said  to  be  the  swiftest  in  the  world,  with  fiery  eyes 
and  broad  spreading  nostrils. 

As  we  wound  up  the  gradually  ascending  but  broad  and 
winding  road  toward  the  summit  of  the  promontory,  the 
cabmen  were  continually  running  past  each  other;  while  the 


A  TOWN  IN  A  CRATER. 


299 


donlvey-boys  who  ran  Leliind  to  scare  np  their  lonj^-eared 
animals,  whipped  and  punched  away,  yellin<^  at  the  top  of 
their  voices,  each  one  trying  his  best  to  outstrip  the  rest. 
Occasionally  we  passed  a  string  ot"  loaded  camels,  one  behind 
another,  to  the  number  oi  tifteen  or  twenty.     The  first  one 


UKADS  AiNU  TAILS. 


was  led  by  an  Arab,  and  its  tail  was  fastened  by  means  of  a 
strap,  to  a  ring  in  the  nose  of  the  second  ;  the  tail  ot  tlie  second 
one  was  fastened  in  the  same  way  to  the  nose  of  the  third, 
and  so  on  till  the  tails  came  to  an  end. 

As  we  ascended  higher  we  had  a  fine  view  in  one  direction 
of  the  country  inland  ;  it  was  desert-like  in  appearance,  with 
here  and  there  a  village,  or  a  drove  of  cattle  or  horses  herded 
by  the  nomadic  Arabs.  We  could  perceive  at  once  that  the 
inliabitants  were  divided  into  two  classes — one  class  partially 
civilized,  occupying  towns  and  villages,  and  the  other  class 
roving  about  with  their  herds,  and  living  in  rude  tents. 

"When  toward  the  summit,  we  passed  through  a  great  gate- 
way in  the  side  of  the  extinct  volcano,  and  on  emerging  on 
the  inside,  found  ourselves  overlooking  Aden,  nestled  from 
the  world,  far  down  in  the  lap  of  the  crater.  From  tlie  eleva- 
tion which  we  now  occupied,  we  had  a  fine  view  of  the  walls 


300  SIGHT-SEEING  AT  ADEN. 

and  fortifications  wliicli  in  many  places,  capped  tlie  encircling 
rim  cr  tuinmit. 

Our  motley  caravan  now  made  its  way  down  at  brealc-ncck 
speed  into  the  very  lieart  of  the  city.  Excepting  a  few  Euro- 
pean dwellings,  there  was  nothing  here  inviting;  native  huts 
low  rock  houses,  narrow  Hlthy  streets,  and  swarms  of  dirty 
men,  women  and  children,  interspersed,  for  variety's  ^ake, 
witli  swarms  of  equally  dirty  camels,  are  the  characteristics 
of  a  place  which  was  in  the  seventeenth  century  the  home 
of  science,  industry  and  wealth.  Only  a  few  years  since  it 
contained  but  a  thousand  inhabitants,  but  now  according  to 
geographers  it  has  about  fifty  thousand. 

To  the  south  of  the  city  is  a  great  reservoir  of  solid  mason- 
ry, built  centuries  ago  by  the  natives,  but  recently  improved 
by  the  English.  It  lies  in  a  deep  ravine  in  the  side  of  the 
crater  and  was  constructed  with  various  compartments,  one 
above  the  other, running  up  the  ravine,  each  compartment 
holding  many  thousands  of  hogsheads.  When  the  rainy  season 
comes,  these  are  filled  with  the  water  which  runs  down  the 
sides  of  the  crater.  During  the  dry  season  the  water  is  used 
from  the  lowest  compartment;  then  that  in  the  next  above, 
by  means  of  a  gate,  is  let  into  the  emptied  one  and  used,  and 
so  on  till  the  water  from  the  highest  has  passed  down  through 
the  intervening  ones  to  the  lowest. 

We  patronized  the  cabmen  and  donkey-boys  a  good  deal 
while  we  were  in  Aden,  and  of  course  had  no  trouble  in 
settling  with  them  for  their  services  ;  they  were  satisfied  with 
whatever  we  happened  to  give  them.  The  other  natives 
were  e(pially  agreeable  in  their  behavior  toward  us.  They 
would  not  have  robbed  ns  had  they  had  a  chance  ;  no,  nor 
would  they  have  taken  anything  as  a  gift  had  we  offered  it  to 
them.  They  gathered  round  to  try  to  sell  us  egg>,  some  of 
which  were  as  large  as  a  two  quart  cup,  which  led  us  to  sup- 
pose that  their  hens  were  a  monstrous  breed.  Not  being  able 
to  sell  us  any,  they  afterwards  came  round  Avith  ostrich  feath- 
ers of  many  varieties ;  and  then  we  no  longer  wondered  at 
the  size  of  their  eggs. 


UP  THE  RED  SEA. 


301 


The  prices  which  they  first  asked  for  their  feathers  appeared 
to  us  to  be  high,  especiully  as  their  eggs  were  warranted  to  be 


"  ii.O(jO-lKAUuKi.NAUV  !  '' 


fresh ;  but  when  they  reduced  tliem  from  several  dt)llars  to  a 
few  cents,  we  conchided  it  was  a  favorable  time  to  buy. 

Not  long  did  our  ship  tarry  at  Aden  ;  we  bade  the  place 
and  its  people  adieu  one  fine  evening,  and  next  morning  found 
ourselves  steaming  up  the  Hed  Sea,  the  waters  of  which,  by 
the  wav,  were  not  of  the  color  which  their  name  miijht  indi- 
cate.  We  were  sorry  for  this,  for  we  had  seen  enough  of  the 
ocean,  and  longed  for  a  change.  The  sea-gulls  too,  which  1  had 
hoped  would  disappear  forever,  were  flying  thick  over  the 
water,  and  were  just  as  keen-sighted  and  keen-scented  as  before. 
Some  of  the  boys  gulled  one  of  them  into  swallowing  a  baited 
hook  which  was  dragged  behind  the  vessel,  and  then  pulled 
on  deck.  It  was  a  pretty  bird,  and  as  its  eyes  watered,  and 
its  body  quivered  from  fright  and  pain,  I  was  sorry  that  we 
had  indulged  in  the  sport. 

As  we  continued  our  voyage  northward  the  shores  of  Arabia 
and  Africa  were  visible,  and  we  frequently  saw,  on  either 
hand,  sandy  mountains,  and  long  ranges  whose  serrated  or 


302 


ARRIVAL  AT  SUEZ. 


saw-tooth  summits  stood  out  clearly  against  tlie  ekj.  In 
many  places  beautiful  corals  lined  the  shores  of  the  mainland 
and  island. 

On  the  second  day  out  from  Aden  we  passed  Mecca,  the  great 
city  of  the  Mohammedan  world,  to  which  thousands  make  a 
yearly  pilgrimage.  It  is  an  inland  city,  but  only  a  few  miles 
from  the  sea.  Two  days  later  we  passed  Mount  Sinai,  which 
Moses  ascended  to  receive  the  Ten  Commandments.  It 
is  northwesterly  from  Mecca,  and  appears  to  be  about  the 
same  distance  from  the  coast. 

On  the  evening  of  the  fifth  day  after  leaving  Aden,  we 
arrived  at  Suez,  the  southern  terminus  of  the  famous  canal 
which  unites  the  waters  of  the  Mediterranean  and  Red  Seas. 


4 


CnAPTER  XXXIII. 
GETTING  ACQUAINTED  AVITH  EGYPT. 

AS  we  dropped  anchor  in  the  harbor  of  Suez,  I  looked  with 
curiosity  toward  the  shore,  and  called  to  mind  that 
through  the  mountain-pass  leading  down  to  the  water's  edge 
once  came  the  terror-stricken  hosts  of  Israel.  Then  I  pictured 
to  myself  the  tender  feet  of  infants,  aiid  the  sandaled  feet 
of  mothers,  and  the  march  of  that  mighty  multitude  treading 
the  sands  beneath  our  vessel  until  they  issued  from  the  deep 
and  stood  upon  the  opposite  shore,  where  their  joy  found  vent 
in  lofty  acclamations  and  shouts  of  triumphant  song. 

Far  out  we  looked  over  the  sea  of  sand  out  of  which  rose 
the  bold  and  jagged  mountains  of  Sinai,  and  noticed  with 
interest  what  a  desolate  region  it  was.  No  wonder  the  joy 
of  the  wandering  Israelites  was  soon  turned  to  sorrow,  as  they 
were  seized  by  hunger  and  thirst  on  those  scorching  deserts 
where  not  even  a  shrub  or  tree  was  to  be  seen.  That  the 
bones  of  the  entire  hosts  did  not  bleach  in  the  sun,  was  nothing 
less  than  a  miracle.  In  all  the  waste  fields  of  parched  sands 
which  met  our  gaze,  we  could  only  discern  one  well,  round 
which  were  a  few  wandering  Arabs  watering  their  herd.  The 
natives  ])ointed  towards  it  and  muttered,  "  Moze!  Moze !  " 
meaning  thereby  that  it  was  Moses'  Well. 

These  Arabs  we  found  to  be  abominahly  lazy  fellows  to  say 
the  least.  A  Chinaman  will  row  vou  ashore  without  thinkinjr 
of  hoisting  a  sail,  but  these  fellows  will  raise  a  sail  in  a  dead 
calm,  and  never  dream  of  moving  an  oar  until  you  pay  them 
a  double  price.     The  wind — what  there  was  of  it — happened 

303 


304  AN  EVENING  AT  SUEZ. 

to  be  directly  against  us,  bo  that  sailing  "was  a  very  slow 
process  ;  but  there  they  lounged,  happy  and  contented,  until 
we  were  becoming  doubtful  about  ever  reaching  the  shore. 
Our  uneasiness  however  only  seemed  to  do  these  beggars  good  ; 
they  evidently  relished  it.  Finally  we  found  that  only  a 
rupee  or  two  would  prove  an  effective  argument  to  bring  us 
to  our  destination,  at  which  we  arrived  an  hour  or  two  after 
dark.  Here  we  found  one  of  our  old  comrades  who  had 
outstripped  us,  although  he  left  the  ship  long  after  we  did  ; 
but  as  he  had  often  been  here  before  I  suppose  he  knew  who 
he  was  dealing  with. 

We  felt  joyous  as  we  again  trod  our  mother  earth,  although 
in  a  far-oil*  land  and  among  strangers.  Our  companion  led 
the  way,  and  we  were  soon  wandei'ing  through  the  dark  and 
dusty  streets  of  Suez.  After  stumbling  over  a  donkey  or  two 
■we  came  to  the  European  part  of  the  town,  when  our  friend 
asked  us  to  accompany  him  to  a  musical  entertainment  and  we 
gladly  consented. 

Entering  a  wide,  open  door  we  were  charmed  by  the  sweetest 
Italian  strains,  and  to  and  fro  within  moved  the  graceful  forms 
of  French  and  Italian  girls,  who,  after  bidding  us  welcome, 
brought  round  sparkling  wine  and  offered  it  with  hands  flash- 
ing with  diamonds. 

Shortly  afterwards  many  others  of  our  fellow  passengers 
arrived  from  tlie  sliij'),  all  eager  to  enjoy  themselves.  There 
were  fat  laughing  Dutchmen  whose  sides  shook  from  their 
cheeks  downwards  ;  politely  scraping  Frenchmen  ;  John  Bull 
and  his  varied  descendants;  but  no  one  more  attracted  our  at- 
tention thana3'oung  Portuguese, — a  third  class  passenger  on 
the  ship,  though  he  was  all  the  time  trying  to  force  his  way 
among  the  first  class.  lie  was  now  dressed  up  as  smart  as  any 
coxcomb  could  be,  and  his  wasp-like  legs  flew  over  the  floor 
as  he  whirled  his  fair  partner  in  the  dance,  which  became 
promiscuous.  AVildairand  I  had  not  at  first  the  least  idea  of 
the  character  of  the  house  we  were  entering,  the  politeness  of 
our  companion  having  deceived  us  ;  and  now  when  we  desired 
to  depart  in  peace  he  urged  us  to  remain,  saying  that  since 


ANCIENT-LOOKING  PERSONAGES.  305 

we  were  traveling  to  see  the  world  the  best  way  to  become 
acquainted  with  the  people  of  these  countries  was  throu<2^1i  the 
ladies,  as  the  men  were  reserved.  AVhen  he  finally  consented 
to  accompany  us,  the  rest  of  tlie  passengers  collected  round 
witii  their  arguments,  while  the  fair  angels  of  the  establish- 
ment, departing  far  from  the  pretence  of  either  modesty  or 
decenc}',  vied  in  their  attempts  to  retain  us — but  in  vain. 

Young  men  contemplating  traveling  know  little  of  the  temp- 
tations they  will  encounter.  Those  who  drink  a  little  and 
carouse  a  little  to  be  in  fashion,  and  just  because  others  do  the 
same,  may  tremble  to  leave  the  moorings  of  home  and  drift 
out  into  the  currents  of  foreign  travel  and  societj'. 

From  Suez  we  went  to  Cairo  by  rail ;  but  how  strange  it 
seemed  to  be  rolling  across  the  sands  of  Africa  in  a  train  of 
cars,  while  the  caravans,  as  in  times  of  old,  were  still  seen 
winding  their  slow  but  steady  way  as  if  the  rolling  ages  had 
brought  no  change.  Some  of  them  perhaps  were  returning 
from  a  pilgrimage  to  Mecca  or  other  venerated  localities, 
which  railroads  will  soon  render  so  familiar  as  to  break  up  the 
feelings  of  awe  and  superstition  with  which  many  mortals 
now  ri'gard  them.  Then  unconsciously  my  thoughts  reverted 
to  the  ])ast,  and  I  imagined  one  caravan  to  be  that  which 
Abraham  sent  with  his  servants  to  find  a  wife  for  his  son 
Isaac;  or  the  one  that  carried  away  Joseph  as  a  slave.  As 
we  passed  the  natives  journeying  alone  on  those  long-cared 
animals  so  frequently  mentioned  in  the  Eible,  I  called  this 
one  Moses,  that  one  Aaron,  another  Abraham,  and  another 
David. 

In  still  another  personage  wc  met,  I  fancied  we  had  run 
across  Balaam  ;  not  that  he  looked  like  that  heathen  prophet,  or 
even  re.-embled  the  priestly  natives  with  their  long  gowns; 
he  was  a  queerer  specimen  of  humanity  than  any  of  these. 
But  notwithstanding  this,  he  reminded  me  of  Balaam  from  the 
energetic  manner  in  which  he  applied  his  guiding  club  to  the 
sides  of  his  donkey's  neck  and  head.  This  ass  however  had 
not  heard  the  voice  of  an  angel,  but  simply  the  shrill  braying 
of  the  "  Iron  Horse  "  accompanied  by  the  endless  din  of  the 


306 


EGYPT'S  NEW  RIVER. 


railroad  train.  It  was  perhaps  liis  first  introduction  to  them ; 
at  any  rate  he  acted  badly,  and  caused  his  rider,  with  liis  fly- 
ing turban  and  dangling  sword,  to  cut  considerable  of  a  figure. 


A  MITETING  IN  THE  DESERT. 


When  Joseph  and  Mary  with  their  precious  charge,  fleeing 
from  the  wratli  of  lIerod,journeyed  into  Egypt,  there  was  no 
Suez  Canal  to  be  crossed,  but  it  is  said  the  Hed  Sea  then  ex- 
tended farther  north  than  it  now  does ;  1  can  well  believe  it; 
for  the  brackish  lagoons,  and  bitter  lakes  which  Ave  passed 
indicated  that  there,  formerly,  was  the  bottom  of  the  sea.  At 
Ismalia  there  was  sufficient  depression  for  a  great  lake,  which 
formed  a  link  in  the  canal.  This  place  witnessed  the  cere- 
monies at  the  opening  of  Egypt's  new  river;  it  was  the 
scene  of  stirring  events  then,  but  like  some  of  our  railroad 
towns,  its  day  was  short  and  evil.  Its  growth  now  bids  fair 
to  be  sober  and  steady  ;  and  it  may  perhaps  some  day  become 
a  great  city. 

Wo  now  rolled  over  high  sands  toward  the  Delta,  occasion- 


SCENES  ON  THE  DESERT. 


307 


ally  passing  spots  having  some  appearance  of  fertility,  where 
the  miserable  looking  inhabitants,  living  in  huts  of  sun-dried- 
bricks,  were  trying  to  eke  out  a  livelihood.  At  a  station,  well 
tanned  boys,  with  skins  of  water  shaped  like  geese  strung  on 
their  backs,  halted  beneath  our  window  to  gaze  longingly  into 
our  faces,  and  mutter,''  Wader,  wader ; "  at  the  same  time  they 
proposed  by  signs  to  pour  some  out  into  their  cups  that  we 
niight  drink  and  be  refreshed.  Men  and  women  sat  in  long 
rows  on  either  side  of  the  track,  beside  baskets  of  tropical 


FRUITS  OF  COMPETITION. 


fruits.     We  motioned  for  one  of  the  lasses  to  come  to  our 

window.     She  took  up  her  basket,  placed  it  on  her  head  and 

was  approaching,  when  a  brakeman  with  a  fez  cap  on  his  head 

viciously  threw  her  basket  down  the  embankment  and  shoved 

her  sprawling  after  it.     We  took  pity  on  her  and  gathered 

up  a  portion  of  tbe  fruit,  but  noticed  that  the  official  took  care 

to  help  himself  liberally.     We  threw  the  poor  girl  a  franc, 

and  she  went  off  crying ;  gladly  would  we  also  have  bestowed 
19 


308  THE  GARDEN  OF  THE  DESERT. 

on  her  oppressor  his  due,  but  it  would  not  have  been  good 
policy  in  Egypt.  The  fellow  had  been  hired  by  the  proprie- 
tor of  an  eating-house  to  keep  off  these  fruit-selling  peasants, 
who  were  really  little  better  than  serfs. 

From  these  desert  sands  we  now  rolled  into  the  wonderful 
"  Garden  of  the  Desert,"  where  the  golden  fruit  of  the  orange 
and  lemon  tree,  ripe  figs,  and  pomegranates  large  and  rosy 
as  apples,  hung  from  bending  boughs ;  while  from  the  tufted 
tops  of  palm-trees  drooped  dates  and  bananas  in  clusters  so 
large  that  a  man  would  not  want  to  carry  more  than  three  or 
four  as  a  load.  Here  reigned  in  great  perfection  the  poetic 
idea  of  eternal  sunshine;  while  cotton  pods  just  bursting  their 
casing,  and  scattering  here  and  there,  whitening  all  the  fields, 
gave  the  natives  the  best  idea  of  snow  that  they  could  have 
at  home. 

The  Delta  was  as  level  as  the  surface  of  a  smooth  lake ;  and 
when  it  is  covered  with  water,  as  we  saw  it  afterwards,  no 
land  is  in  sight  save  the  artificial  mounds  on  which  the 
villages  are  built.  In  some  places  dams  are  built  across  the 
Nile  so  as  to  flood  the  banks  as  often  as  needed,  and  thus  in- 
crease the  certainty  and  quantity  of  the  crops.  On  the  borders 
of  the  Delta  and  the  !Nile  Valley  where  the  water  does  not 
overflow,  we  saw  them  elevating  it  by  oxen  or  donkeys 
moving  in  circles  at  the  end  of  a  sweep,  and  doubtless  these 
higher  lands  will  soon  be  irrigated  by  ditches. 

Continuing  on  above  the  head  of  the  Delta,  the  high  out- 
lines of  the  desert,  through  which  the  broad  valley  of  the 
Nile  takes  its  winding  way,  rose  up  before  us  ;  and  soon  the 
minarets  and  domes  of  Cairo's  three  hundred  mosques  pierced 
the  softly-tinged  atmosphere,  presenting  a  most  enchanting 
ecene.  Ten  miles  beyond,  in  the  sleepy  distance,  were  the 
forms  of  three  pyramids  keeping  guard  over  the  Nile  just  as 
they  did  in  the  days  of  the  Pharaohs,  thousands  of  years  ago. 

As  soon  as  our  train  entered  the  dep<)t,  the  Arabs  thronged 
outside  and  even  inside  the  cars,  ready  and  anxious  to  do 
anything  for  anybody.  We  pointed  out  to  one  of  them  our 
luggage,  consisting  of  a  couple  of  valises  and  two  small  boxes; 


EXPERIENCES  AT  CAIRO 


309 


and  after  carrying  them  out  of  the  cars  he  stacked  them  upon 
his  head  and  started  off  for  our  liotel,  with  us  after  him. 

Of  course  we  had  a  hundred  offers  to  ride,  hut  we  declined 
all,  as  we  wanted  to  see  how  far  the  fellow  could  go  hefore 

our  baggage  cauglit  a  fall. 
"We  were  frequently  start- 
led by  the  shooting  across 
our  path  of  a  donkey 
almost  hidden  by  his  rider 
and  followed  by  a  swift  im- 
petuous runner. 

AYe  pressed  on  after  our 
bagD'ao'e-carrier  with  in- 
creasino'  astonishment  at 
his  powers  of  endurance, 
and  concluded  that  he  was 
a  lineal  descendant  of  some 
"  stiff  necked  "  Egyptian 
of  ancient  times.  lie  took 
us  up  a  broad  street  that 
was  being  cut  through  the 
heart  of  the  city,  not  spar- 
ing even  the  old  mosques 
that  had  stood  for  centu- 
ries ;  then  through  the  narrow  streets  of  old  Cairo,  among 
whose  labyrinths  we  wound  our  way  between  high  walls  where 
even  the  little  donkey  was  crowded  out.  At  length  all  branch- 
ing passages  came  to  an  end,  and  only  a  narrow  arched  opening 
led  through  a  dark  wall,  looking  so  forbidding  that  we  did 
not  care  to  enter  it.  But  just  then  our  guide  muttered, 
"  Hotel,  hotel,"and  on  taking  a  closer  look  we  saw  the  glimmer 
of  a  light  beyond. 

Venturing  on,  we  passed  through  the  dark  passage,  and  at 
once  found  ourselves  in  a  spacious  Oriental  court,  surrounded 
on  every  side  by  long  shady  porticoes.  In  the  centre  were 
bowers,  and  walks,  tropical  trees  and  plants,  playing  fountains 
and  snowy  statues. 


A  STIFF-NECKED  EGYPTIAN. 


310 


AN  ORIENTAL  PARADISE 


We  involuntarily  exclaimed,  "  How  delightful !  "  It  seemed 
to  us  like  a  little  paradise  on  earth:  in  fact,  it  is  from  the 
beauty  of  courts  like  these  that  the  Orientals  gather  their 
ideas  of  the  original  Eden  as  well  as  the  state  of  the  faithful 
after  death. 


'r>* 


LOST  IN  CAIRO. 


I  have  referred  to  the  donkeys  of  Cairo  in  a  preceding 
paragraph.  At  a  subsequent  period  we  had  leisure  to  contem- 
plate in  a  calmer  mood  some  of  these  long-eared  animals. 
Tremendous  bundles,  seemingly  in  mourning,  were  mounted 
thereon,  and  Wildair,  by  instinct  probably,  declared  that 
each  bundle  contained  a  woman.  I  was  incredulous  for  a 
while;  but  presently   the  outside  covering  of  one  package 


A  BEAUTY  UNVEILED. 


311 


caught  on  a  nail  in  a  post,  and  lo!  it  unveiled  to  onr  view  a 
pale  but  pretty  feminine  face.  Involuntarily  1  started  toward 
Iier  hoping  to  render  assistance ;  but  she  shrieked  and  shud- 
dered so  much  at  my  presence  that  I  left  her  to  her  fate. 

Our  guide  told  us  that  the  prettiest  girls  covered  their  face 
the  closest.  This  one  made  fuss  enough  to  be  extremely 
handsome — wliich  she  was  not.  Perhaps  he  was  not  a  judge 
of  beauty,  but  he  claimed  to  be;  and  he  frankly  confessed 
that  when  he  first  saw  the  face  of  his  wife  he  did  not  like  her 
and  that  he  intended  to  let  her  go,  and  buy  another  one. 


HARD  ON  THE  DONKEYS. 


CHAPTER     XXXIY. 
A  VISIT  TO  THE  PYRAMIDS. 


through  the  dark  <and  narrow  streets  of  Cairo,  bound  for 


/^NE  morninf;^,  not   long  after  midnight,  ■vre  were  riding 

the  wonderful  Pyramids. 

"Oh  Wildair"  I  cried,  "we  forgot  to  put  those  sardines  in 
our  lunch-basket." 

"  So  we  did." 

"  Say,  son  of  Pharaoh,"  said  I  turning  to  the  guide,  "  can 
you  possibly  get  ns  a  couple  of  cans  of  sardines?  We  don't 
want  to  starve  on  the  desert  like  the  Children  of  Israel." 

He  gave  us  an  answer  in  the  athrmative,  and  soon  after- 
wards, jumping  from  his  seat,  he  commenced  thumping  at  a 
door,  kicking  and  banging  as  if  he  meant  to  burst  it  open. 
Presently  we  could  hear  a  man  grumbling  within.  I  tran- 
slate the  conversation  as  we  then  imagined  it. 

"Say !  say  !  halloo!  I  want  a  couple  of  cans  of  sardines  for 
two  American  gentlemen  visiting  the  Pyramids." 

"  Let  those  Americans  go  to ;"  and  the  speaker  was 

gone  to  the  land  of  Nod. 

Again  the  guide  hallooed  and  tlmmped,  but  the  sleepy  re- 
sponse was : — 

*'What  do  you  wa — a — a — nt?" 

He  renewed  the  attack,  but  with  less  success  than  before, 
for  although  he  redoubled  the  force  of  the  assault,  yet  as  soon 
as  he  ceased,  the  man  within  replied  with  a  snore.  Finally 
however,  the  "Son  of  Pharaoh  "  was  too  much  for  the  sleeper ; 
he  arose  from  his  couch,  threw  open  his  shutters,  and  handed 

312 


1 


THE  ARABS  OF  THE  PYRAMIDS.  313 

out  from  liis  dusky  cell — or  rather,  his  niche  in  the  wall — the 
articles  we  dcaired. 

We  had  not  proceeded  far  upon  our  way  when  onr  guide 
began  to  halloo,  and  we  came  to  a  halt.  Back  from  dark 
streets  or  crevices  came  a  murmuring  answer,  Avhile  across 
our  minds  flashed  the  thought  that  we  were  fools  to  start 
out  in  this  strange  dark  city  with  a  guide  whom  we  had  never 
seen  before.  We  remembered  all  we  had  ever  read  of  the 
treachery  of  the  Arabs,  and  we  felt  anything  but  comfortable. 

Presently  up  from  tlie  rear  came  the  sounds  of  ap])roaching 
men,  and  we  felt  for  our  arms  only  to  find  we  had  left  them 
in  our  room.  So  we  grasped  our  canes;  but  fortunately  we 
didn't  need  them,  for  we  presently  discovered  that  the  guide 
had  only  been  arousing  the  gate-keeper,  and  that  three  other 
men  had  also  come,  bringing  extra  donkeys  for  our  use  when 
those  we  were  riding  should  give  out. 

It  struck  me  that  these  people  were  not  so  enlightened  as 
some  of  our  countrymen  or  they  would  have  robbed  us.  Only 
think  of  treacherous  Arabs,  bloody  Mohammedans,  being  so 
much  behind  the  times  as  to  permit  "Christian  dogs,"  whom 
they  suspect  of  having  money,  to  pass  through  their  narrow 
unlighted  streets  in  safety.  Oh,  these  stupid  people,  we  should 
elevate  them  at  once  ! 

On  we  went,  passing  by  women  and  even  children  sleeping 
far  out  along  the  roadside  awaiting  the  time  for  the  morning 
market.  I  admired  the  innocence  of  one  youth  who  pillowed 
his  head  npon  his  donkey.  Not  a  care  troubled  liis  mind; 
his  dusky  form  required  only  half  a  covering,  and  with  open 
mouth  he  still  slept  on  and  snored,  utterly  regardless  of  our 
approach. 

Further  along  we  met  other  parties  driving  their  loaded 
donkeys  and  camels  toward  the  city  gates,  which  closed  and 
opened  with  the  sun. 

The  Arabs  of  the  Pyramids  were  not  too  proud  to  sleep  on 
the  ground,  and  our  arrival  in  their  vicinity  awakened  them. 
They  approached  swiftly,  and  though  quite  humble  at  first 
we  soon  found  that  tiiey  were  up  to  all  sorts  of  mischief. 


314  ON  THE  SUMMIT  OF  CHEOPS. 

They  laid  hold  of  us  unceremoniously,  and  at  once  commenced 
boosting  our  bodies  up  the  high  stone  steps,  which  led  up  the 
sides  of  a  pyramid.  "We  imagined  that  those  below  were 
playing  foot-ball  with  us  on  their  heads,  while  those  above 
were  catching  us  ;  but,  anyway,  there  was  no  helping  it.  Our 
faithful  guide  now  deserted  us  and  turned  back,  probably  to 
make  up  for  loss  of  sleep  from  starting  so  early  in  the  morning. 
His  parting  words  to  us  were : — 

"  Beware  of  your  pockets." 

It  was  soon  after  the  sun  rose  upon  that  desert  world,  and 
over  the  sleeping  Kile,  that  we  reached  the  summit,  set  our 
feet  upon  the  uppermost  step,  and  felt  the  inward  satisfaction 
of  having  gained  the  eminence  of  our  loftiest  aspirations. 
The  point  of  this  pyramid  had  stood  in  our  boyhood's  fancies 
as  some  prominent  object  stands  out  in  a  dream — something 
mythical  that  might  be  thought  of  but  never  handled — some- 
thing too  remote  in  space  and  origin  to  have  any  tangible  exist- 
ence ;  and  therefore  it  was  not  strange  that  as  we  now  stood 
upon  these  stones, — stones  as  real  as  those  we  saw  in  child- 
hood— we  should  feel  as  though  we  had  awakened  in  the  new 
sphere  or  been  lifted  to  a  pinnacle  above  the  changing  scenes 
of  time,  that  we  might  look  out  over  the  wrecks  of  bygone 
ages. 

To  one  standing  here,  the  rise,  progress,  and  fall  of 
empires  seemed  as  but  ripples  upon  the  ocean  shore.  The 
liistories  of  Germany,  France,  England,  America,  and  the 
various  nations  of  modern  days,  seemed  but  as  things  of 
yesterday.  The  glory  of  Rome,  Greece,  Persia,  and  Babylon 
seemed  also  to  be  nigh  at  hand,  while  far  beyond,  fading 
away  in  the  dim  mists  which  overhang  the  boundless  sea  of 
time,  we  could  discern  faint  outlines  of  the  histories  and 
traditions  of  Egypt  and  the  Pyramids. 

But  these  mischievous  Arabs  evidently  didn't  want  to  Bee 
us  reflecting.  The  rascals,  by  repeated  nudges  or  pulls  at  our 
coat-tails,  soon  brought  our  minds  back  to  meditate  upon  the 
present — and  especially  upon  the  fallen  state  of  modern 
Egyptians.     But  we  could  not  even  think  of  that  long ;  they 


A  TEMPTING  PROrOSAL,  315 

vrould  not  even  permit  us  to  look  at  tlic  miserable  mud- 
colored  villages  so  poetically  perched  — or  rather  squatted, 
upon  mounds  rising  from  the  water.  In  fact,  we  soon  forgot 
entirely  that  we  were  on  the  Pyramid  so  incessant  were 
these  beggars  in  their  importunities.  They  were  rubbing 
our  limbs  to  keep  them  from  becoming  stiff,  touching 
thimbles  of  water  to  our  lips,  and  then  kneeling  all  round 
with  out-held  hats,  calling  us  "good  Americans"  and  a 
variety  of  other  equally  pretty  names. 

"We  told  them  we  had  paid  our  guide  aouble  price  with  the 
express  understanding  that  his  fee  should  cover  all  possible 
expenses;  but  they  only  commiserated  us  for  employing  a 
"  cheating  guide,"  "  no-pay  rascal,"  "  deceptive  wolf." 

We  informed  them  that  the  guide  bad  told  us  that  they 
would  compliment  him  in  this  manner  but  that  we  were  not 
to  mind  them.  Then  they  swore  by  Mohammed  that  he  was 
an  impostor  and  would  not  donate  them  a  cent.  As  evidence 
of  their  truthfulness  they  bowed  down  before  us  with  their 
faces  toward  Mecca,  and  repeated  their  sunrise  prayers, 
accompanied  by  crossings,  bowings,  and  repeated  rising  from 
and  again  falling  prostrate  upon  the  ground. 

When  they  found  that  all  was  of  no  avail,  they  proposed 
that  one  of  them  should  run  down  the  Pyramid,  across  the 
intervening  sand,  and  up  Cephron,  the  second  great  Pyramid, 
all  in  ten  minutes,  for  two  rupees,  or  one  dollar.  They 
showed  us  by  pantomime  how  he  would  go  down  our  Pyra- 
mid and  up  the  other  one,  and  did  it  so  well  that  we  could 
almost  see  him  doing  it.  They  accompanied  their  motions 
with  much  clamor  and  hurrah,  and  seemed  to  think  as  a 
matter  of  course  that  we  would  accept  their  offer.  But  we 
declined  it,  and  told  them  in  a  deprecating  manner,  that  they 
couldn't  impose  on  us  after  that  kind  of  style ;  for  they  had 
run  not  only  to  the  top  of  the  other  Pyramid,  but  there  and 
back  again  for  one  of  our  countrymen  all  in  the  space  of 
nine  minutes.  Was  not  our  money  as  good  as  his  ?  To  this 
they  replied  indignantly  : — 

"Tell  him  he  lied  1" 


316  THE  OLD  "TRADITIOXAL"  ARAB. 

Wildair  replied  that  it  could  not  be  so ;  for  the  countryman 
referred  to  was  never  known  to  joke  or  to  exaggerate  in  the 
least. 

As  this  seemed  to  excite  them  still  more,  we  told  them 
that  we  presumed  the  native  who  had  made  the  quick  time, 
was  getting  rather  old  and  stiff  now,  but  that  his  name  was 
"  Traditional^     At  this  they  laughed  and  said : — 

"  Oh,  he  has  been  '  dead  '  a  thousand  years." 

Nothing  piqued  by  our  refusal  to  pay  for  a  race  down  the 
Pyramids,  they  now  renewed  their  polite  attentions,  expect- 
ing of  course  pay  for  all  they  bestowed.  Whenever  we 
approached  the  edge  of  the  Pyramid  they  hovered  near  to 
prevent  our  falling  oft";  and  once  when  Wildair  got  within 
a  yard  thereof,  they  seized  him  by  the  coat-tails  and  pulled 
him  energetically  back.  This  was  too  much  for  Wildair  to 
stand  ;  so  jerking  loose  from  their  grasp  he  went  wildly  bound- 
ing down  from  step  to  step,  with  nearly  the  whole  flock, 
who  looked  like  tattered  kangaroos,  after  him,  yelping  at 
every  jump: — 

"  He  crazy  !  he  crazy  ! " 

Others  caught  hold  of  me,  afraid  lest  I  should  follow  suit. 
Wildair  tried  to  tell  them  that  they  were  lunatics,  but  not 
understanding  their  language,  his  efforts  were  a  decided 
failure. 

In  the  eyes  of  the  Arabs  this  Pyramid,  barely  five  hun- 
dred feet  in  height,  was  loftier  than  the  highest  mountain 
in  the  world ;  and  without  exaggeration  it  certainly  was 
immense  for  a  work  piled  up  by  human  hands.  Even  now, 
after  the  lapse  of  so  many  ages,  and  notwithstanding  that 
the  neighboring  inhabitants  have  made  of  it  a  free  quarry 
for  building  the  mosques  of  Cairo,  it  covers  an  area  of 
thirteen  acres,  and  must  originally  have  been  much  more 
extensive. 

Descending  the  northern  face  of  the  Pyramid,  we  met  our 
slandered  guide  but  a  few  steps  from  the  only  entrance  to 
the  interior.  While  he  was  engaged  in  lighting  the  torches, 
we  proposed  engraving  our  names  above  the  dark  opening, 


DOWN  IN  A  DUNGEON. 


317 


that  straggling  visitors,  two  or  three  tlioupand  years  hence 
might  look  at  the  inscription  with  awe,  and  perhaps  liand  us 
down  to  the  end  of  time  as  the  openers  and  explorers  of  the 


ENTRANCE  TO  THK  GREAT  PYRAMID. 


Pyramids  !     But  the  guide  snatched   the  garland   of  fame 
from  our  brows,  by  declaring  that  the  lights  were  ready. 

With  heads  bent  almost  to  our  feet,  and  in  single  file,  we 
now  entered  the  little  square  opening  leading  to  the  dark 
recesses  therein.  The  pathway  was  exceedingly  steep,  and 
the  roof  or  ceiling  very  low,  but  we  found  no  relief  until  far 


318 


PHARAOH'S  TELESCOPE. 


beneath  the  base  of  the  mightj  monument  above,  away 
down  in  tlie  eternal  rock.  Then  turninj^  round  we  looked 
upward  and  could  see  only  a  square  bit  of  sky.  The  shaft 
leading  to  this  aperture  was  boxed  or  lined  with  immense 
elabs  of  polished  granite.  I  suspect  that  it  was  Pharaoh's 
telescope  through  which  he  used  to  observe  the  North  Star 


PLAN    OF    THE    GREAT    PYRAMID. 


X. 
B. 


Subterranean  Chamber. 
Queen's  Chamber. 


c.     King's  Chamber. 
I).     Grand  Gallery. 


in  the  daytime.  It  was  about  twenty  rods  long,  but  did  not 
magnify  any,  or  point  towards  the  stars  that  it  used  to,  for 
although  we  called  them  "fixed"  they  have  been  moving 
during  the  last  forty  or  fifty  centuries. 

A  few  steps  more  and  we  were  standing  in  the  Subterra- 
nean Chamber  excavated  in  the  limestone  beneath  the  desert, 
for  the  final  abode  of  a  king.  But  the  monarch  for  whom 
this  tomb  was  prepared  was  so  high-minded  that  he  could  not 
be  content  with  his  lowly  resting-place,  but  ronstrncted  for 
himself  a  new  tomb,  up  in  the  centre  of  tlio  Pyramid. 

To  this  newer  tomb  we  now  proceeded  ;  first  along  the 
shaft  which  we  had  descended  until  it  seemed  we  should 


IN  THE  GRAND  GALLERY. 


319 


have  reached  the  entrance ;  then  back,  and  up,  and  up,  until 
finally  we  stood  erect  in  the  Grand  Gallery,  the  floor  of 
which  still  ascended  at  the  same  steep  angle  as  the  shaft 
which  we  had  been  wearily  climbing.  "What  length !  what 
height !  what  emptiness !   what  vast  stones  crowding  closer 


THK    GRAND    GALLERY, 


and  closer  together  toward  the  lofty  ceiling!     An  Arab  now 
climbed  a  ladder  to  show  us  a  shaft  cut  through  to   the 
outside  for  purposes  of  ventilation. 
From  the  upper  end  of  the  Gallery  a  short  creep  more 


320  WHO  CARRIED  OFF  THE  KING? 

brought  US  into  the  King's  Chamber,  and  before  us  was  the 
sarcophagus  or  stone  coffin  of  the  monarch  who  had  erected 
the  Pyramid.  As  we  halted  a  moment  all  seemed  silent  as 
death.  Should  he  awake !  what  account  could  we  give  for 
entering  his  tomb!  Just  then  we  noticed  by  the  dancing 
light  that  the  lid  was  lifted  !  We  shuddered  for  a  moment 
and  then  approached,  bat  the  dead  body  once  there  was  gone. 

Many  weary  centuries  before  Christ,  the  King  of  Persia 
came  into  Egypt  and  plundered  the  tomb,  cutting  out  the 
granite  blocks  that  stopped  the  entrances.  How  many 
mortals  from  every  nation,  in  the  different  ages  since  then, 
have  gazed  for  a  moment  with  wonder  upon  this  open  coffin, 
as  we  now  gazed,  and  then  passed  the  way  of  all  the  earth  ! 

But  how  far  back  in  the  dream}'  past  came  hither  the  sable 
procession  bearing  the  mighty  king  who  built  this  pyramid, 
and,  under  priestly  blessings,  laid  him  in  the  great  granite 
coffin  which  he  had  placed  here  to  receive  his  mortal  remains 
— who  can  say  ?  He  probably  supposed  that  his  tomb  would 
remain  closed  until  the  Archangel  rent  the  rocks  and  called 
him  into  the  presence  of  the  greater  Monarch  who  rules  the 
universe.  He  left  no  name  upon  his  coffin,  but  it  was  dis- 
covered a  few  years  since  in  one  of  the  little  cells  made 
above  his  "Chamber"  to  break  the  weight  from  the  ceiling. 
The  hieroglyphics  were  extremely  rude,  having  been  cut  on 
one  of  the  stones  by  a  workman  during  an  idle  moment; 
but  when  deciphered  it  proved  to  be  the  name  of  Cheops, 
who,  according  to  Greek  historians,  built  this  massive  pile. 

We  were  now  standing  where  the  king  had  stood  when  in 
the  height  of  his  glory.  Here  he  contemplated  human 
power  and  earthly  grandeur,  and  surely  if  any  mortal  ever 
dreamed  of  rendering  his  name  immortal  lie  was  that  one. 
He  had  erected  fur  himself  a  monument  and  resting-place, 
which  he  supposed  would  defy  the  hand  of  Time  and  remain 
forever  a  visible  w^itness  of  his  greatness.  But  vain  was  his 
ambition  !  Mortals  with  sacrilegious  hands  have  invaded  his 
retreat  and  carried  him  hence,  no  one  knows  whither;  while 
the  Arab  as  he  stands  with  smoking  torch  within  this  dreary 


THE  QUEEN  GONE,  TOO  !  321 

and  empty  abode,  drops  no  tear  nor  even  breatlies  a  sigli. 
Tlie  kingly  name  has  long  since  passed  from  among  men, 
except  as  it  is  preserved  by  Herodotus,  and  even  at  his  hands, 
it  finds,  but  little  honor.  The  "  Two  Mites"  dropped  by  an 
obscure  woman  into  the  treasury  of  the  Lord,  will  in  the 
light  of  the  judgment  become  a  nobler  monument  to  her 
memory,  than  are  these  massive  Pyramids,  to  that  of  Egypt's 
King. 

Leaving  the  empty  sarcopliagns  "we  visited  the  Queen's 
Chamber,  but  as  it  was  entirely  empty  we  concluded  it  had 
been  misnamed  by  modern  explorers,  or  that  she  too  had 
been  carried  oft"  by  some  of  them. 

Then  we  crept  out  into  the  light  of  day  and  gazed  upon 
the  world-renowned  Sphinx,  the  wrinkles  of  whose  sublime 
cheeks  mark  the  layers  of  rock  that  underlie  the  sand.  Then 
we  walked  round  Cephron,  a  smaller  Pyramid,  and  were  told 
that  its  builder  was  the  brother  of  Cheops.  He  tried  to 
erect  as  large  and  imposing  a  structure,  but  he  failed  and 
died  unhappy.  Near  by  was  a  still  smaller  structure  built 
by  their  successor — perhaps  a  second  cousin.  It  was  not 
opened  until  within  the  last  few  years,  when  a  cofiin  was 
found,  but  it  dropped  into  the  ocean  on  the  way  to  the 
British  Museum.  Around  these  three  were  a  number  of 
diminutive  pyramids  built  in  memory  of  relatives;  and 
interspersed  among  these  were  the  vaults  of  the  more  distant 
friends  and  relatives  who  could  not  afford  monuments.  We 
went  down  into  some  of  them,  but  the  great  bats  blew  out 
our  lights,  and  flapped  their  hideous  wings  in  our  faces,  and 
as  they  are  somewhat  disagreeable  on  account  of  their  claws, 
we  exchanged  their  society  for  that  of  our  donkeys,  and 
mounted  them  to  return  to  Cairo. 

As  we  started  off",  the  donkey -boys  gave  a  whoop,  and  each 
one  struck  his  animal  a  smart  blow  which  put  them  at  once 
into  full  speed.  In  a  moment  more  another  whack  and  shout 
almost  sent  them  running  from  under  ns,  and  ourselves  from 
under  our  hats.  After  pitying  the  donkeys  and  their  masters 
awhile,  we  concluded  that  if  they  could  stand  it  we  could. 


322  '   FINE  WEATHER  FOR  BRICK-MAKING. 

They  continued  at  a  very  fast  "lope,"  or  run,  for  nearly 
six  miles.     Tliese  Arabs  of  the  desert  are  as  wiry  as  steel. 

"We  were  now  coining  to  deeper  sands  which  had  been 
drifted  by  the  wind,  filling  up  a  space  between  a  low  ridge 
of  rock  and  the  main  desert.  Here  we  passed  men  by  the 
dozens,  digging  into  the  sand  for  bones,  which  when  found 
they  sold  to  sugar-refiners.  In  one  place  where  the  rock  was 
cracked  open  we  approached  as  near  as  we  could  conve- 
niently ;  and  what  should  we  discern  in  the  crevice  but 
mummies;  while  beneath  us  were  the  Catacombs  of  Memphis, 
the  ancient  capital  of  Lower  Egypt. 

AVe  were  now  passing  Aboo  Seer,  a  group  of  three  large 
pyramids  making  the  burial-place  of  another  dynasty — 
perhaps  the  one  that  overturned  that  of  Cheops.  A  couple 
of  miles  further  on  we  came  to  a  third  group,  the  principal 
one  of  which  was  the  Lakkarah.  To  climb  the  steps  of  this 
pyramid  would  have  required  several  gigantic  strides  of  one 
hundred  feet  each,  and  so  we  did  not  ascend.  Still  beyond 
were  the  two  majestic  Pyramids  of  Dashoor.  "VVe  looked  at 
them  longingly  and  meditatively  and  then  turned  slowly 
back  into  the  desert. 

Through  the  flooded  valley  we  wound  our  way  through 
dikes,  thinking  of  the  paved  streets  that  lay  silent  beneath 
the  sands  and  mud  of  the  Nile.  Two  or  three  thousand 
Sphinxes  guarding  the  approaches  to  fallen  temples,  had 
been  discovered,  but  we  could  not  see  them  now. 

Finally  we  came  to  a  large  island  covered  with  the  ruins 
of  Memphis — consisting  chiefly  of  immense  heaps  of  sun- 
dried  bricks,  made,  we  supposed,  by  the  Children  of  Israel. 
What  a  hard  time  they  had  under  those  taskmasters! 
Every  day  was  splendid  for  making  brick.  A  rainy  hour 
never  interferred,  else  all  these  mud  bricks  had  crumbled  ; 
but  they  remain  to  this  day.  A  few  wretched-looking 
inhabitants,  contented  and  happy,  were  thriving  on  the  fruit 
of  the  date-palms  growing  out  of  the  ruins. 

A  short  distance  beyond  this  point  we  came  to  a  little 
railroad  station,  where  a  group  of   squatting  Arabs  were 


DOWN  IN  THE  LAND  OF  EGYPT.  323 

waiting  to  take  the  cars.  As  the  train  came  along  just  in 
the  nick  of  time,  we  tumbled  the  donkeys  into  one  car, 
jumped  into  another  ourselves,  and  rolled  away  toward 
Cairo,  through  groves  of  date-palms  where  the  inhabitants 
were  wading  or  paddling  from  tree  to  tree,  then  climbing 
and  gathering  the  clusters  of  fruit,  while  our  cars  stirred  up 
an  awful  cloud  of  dust  that  ran  an  even  race  with  us. 

At  the  station  opposite  Cairo  we  got  into  the  awaiting 
carriage  and  rolled  away  for  the  city,  past  one  of  the  palaces 
of  the  viceroy,  where  two  or  three  thousand  cavalry  were 
stationed,  while  cavaliers  on  fine  horses  rode  up  and  down 
along  the  walls.  As  we  passed  the  gates,  guarded  on  either 
side  by  Turkish  soldiers,  we  obtained  a  few  glimpses  of  the 
grounds,  gardens,  and  parks  within,  which  seemed  like  a  fairy- 
world.  On  we  rolled,  along  the  finest  drive  in  Egypt,  as 
level  as  a  floor,  and  embowered  by  acacia-trees,  and  then  we 
crossed  the  Nile,  full  of  strange,  leaning  masts,  over  a  long 
bridge  built  for  the  pleasure  of  the  ex-empress  of  France, 
that  she  might  indulge  in  a  drive  to'the  Pyramids  during  her 
visit  at  the  opening  of  the  Suez  Canal. 

In  the  evening  we  tendered  our  guide  a  napoleon  to  visit 
the  market  and  bring  us  a  fine  melon  and  a  basket  of  grapes. 
Upon  his  return  he  threw  down  a  lot  of  Egyptian  coins  of 
whose  value  we  knew  nothing,  and  when  M'e  proceeded  to 
make  inquiries  were  told  by  this  Mohammedan,  that  we 
ought  not  to  suspect  our  servant ;  that  God  would  take  care 
of  us.  Before  leaving  he  took  care  to  ask  us  for  a  donation 
in  behalf  of  the  donkey-boys  and  himself. 


20 


CHAPTER     XXXV. 
SIGHT-SEEING  UNDER  GROUND. 

EVERYBODY  said  that  we  must  see  the  Catacombs 
before  we  left  Egj'pt ;  so  we  suffered  our  unclean  guide 
to  convey  us  thither.  AVe  found  them  to  be  immense  exca- 
vations in  the  hard  rock  underlying  the  desert;  quarries,  in 
fact,  from  which  the  ancient  Egyptians  cut  the  stone  to 
build  their  temples,  palaces,  and  national  works ;  with  now 
and  then  an  odd  block  for  a  god.  They  had  gods  in  vast 
numbers,  and  when  they  wanted  a  new  one  they  joined 
two  of  those  already  at  hand,  and  got  up  a  compound  of 
lions  with  men's  faces,  and  men  with  birds'  faces,  fishes  with 
legs,  and  all  sorts  of  variations  on  the  usual  order  of  things, 
the  object  seeming  always  to  be  to  make  something  more 
hideous  than  before.  The  excavations  being  made,  the  next 
thino-  to  do  was  to  utilize  them;  and  when  the  idea  of  using 
them  as  human  sepulchres  was  decided  on,  they  prepared  the 
thinfT  in  a  proper  manner,  cutting  galleries  at  right  angles  to 
each  other,  with  here  and  there  a  chamber,  as  a  relief  to  the 
labyrinth  of  windings,  upon  the  walls  of  which  they  carved 
the  various  scenes  of  life,  here  and  hereafter. 

The  most  successful  digger  seems  to  have  been  one  Ren 
Hassan, — short  for  Benjamin,  I  sup])ose.  lie  appears  to  have 
been  one  of  those  old  "governors"  who  would  sit  round 
the  tavern  stove,  and  discuss  every  subject,  from  the  proper 
manner  to  trap  a  musk-rat  to  the  details  of  a  patent  churn. 
The  guide  books  say  he  was  a  king,  and  so  of  course  he  must 
have  been  one ;  but  he  was  a  democratic  old  fellow  for  all 

324 


LEAP-FROG  AND  BASE-BALL. 


325 


that,  and  the  people  knew  it  or  the}-  never  would  have  taken 
such  liberties  as  to  write  down  a  royal  personage  as  Ben  ! 

The  tomb  of  another,  whose  name  is,  alas!  forgotten, 
indicates  that  he  was  an  enterprising  poulterer,  and  did  not 
feel  above  his  business.  There  he  sits,  plucking  flinty 
feathers  from  a  granite  goose,  and  there  too  sits  his  chief 
clerk,  ready  to  give  the  finishing  touch  to  the  bird  before 


A    HARD    GOOSE    TO    PICK. 


hanging  it  among  the  stock-in-trade,  wliich  already  makes  a 
respectable  show  in  quantity  at  least.  AVe  thought  the  dress 
of  this  group  a  little  scanty,  but  said  nothing  about  it,  as 
near  by  were  four  festive  damsels  engaged  in  a  combination 
of  leap-frog  and  base-ball.  One  of  our  party  said  he  would 
like  to  see  some  young  ladies  of  the  present  day  play  ball  in 
this  manner.  Probably  he  did  not  remember  that  the  dresses 
now  worn  arc  not  so  well  adapted  to  the  games  as  were  those 
of  these  ancient  maidens. 

There  was  also  another  party  of  four  young  ladies,  who 
were  engaged  in  throwing  balls  in  the  air  and  catching  them 
as  they  came  down.  This  exercise  of  the  balls  was,  I  pre- 
sume, taken  just  before  going  to  bed,  or  just  after  getting 
up,  as  they  all  had  their  night-dresses  on.  I  noticed  that 
their  feet  were  large,  and  that  their  lines  of  beauty  were 
poorly  developed. 


32G 


A  LIBERAL  OLD  FELLOW. 


We  passed  by  a  whole  raft  of  serious-looking  personages, 
whom  we  took   to  be   religious  functionaries.     They  were 


MORNING    RECREATIONS. 


presenting  bowls  of  soup  and  variously  shaped  dishes  to  the 
gods — that  is  what  onr  guide  called  them,  although  some  had 
bills  long  enough  to  drink  buttermilk  out  of  a  churn.  AVhat 
a  liberal  old  fellow  that  Ben  was.     He  used  to  patronize  all 


BED-TIME    EXERCISES. 


kinds  of  things,  even  to  dancing  on  the  tombs;  and  you  can 
imagine  how  the  young  ladies  danced  and  tumbled  from  the 
way  they  played  ball.     The  young  ladies  loved  jewelry ;  but 


WEAK  YOUNG  LADIES. 


327 


that  was  a  natural  weakness  which  tliey  have  not  outgrown 
to  this  da^'.  We  saw  how  the  fiiif^er-rings,  necklaces,  and 
bracelets  were  ni;  do  from  the  weighing  of  the  gold  to  the 
giving  of  the  tini^hiIl4•  touch. 

Passing  on,  we  recognized  at  a  glance  the  good  old  Egyptian 
husbandmen  of  forty  centuries  ago,  with  tiieir  wooden  hoes 
and  equally  rude  plows  and  sickles.  Some  of  their  oxen  had 
half-a-dozen  marks  of  the  branding-iron  on  one  side,  and 
perhaps  as  many  more  on  the  other  side;  I  could  not  see  it. 
It  seemed  as  if  he  had  changed  hands  rather  too  often  ;  and 
what  Avas  worse,  a  new  owner  had  tied  the  four  feet  of  the 
helpless  animal  and  was  about  applying  another  liot  iron. 

Some  of  the  Theban  kings  were  great  aristocrats,  living  by 
themselves  in  spacious  mansions,  and  cutting  out  for  their  last 
resting-places  vast  aj)artments,  on  the  walls  of  which  they 
carved  the  scenes  of  time  and  the  imaginary  scenes  of  eternity. 
They  delighted  particularly  to  thus  record  their  numerous 
battles,  from  the  conquering  of  an  army  to  the  despatching 
of  a  mosquito. 


A    TOUCniNG    SCENE. 


A  certain  kingly  warrior,  renowned  in  his  time,  went  out 
hunting  one  day,  and  when  he  came  home  he  had  his  exploits 
all  carved  out  upon  the  walls  of  his  lonely  mausoleum,  as  an 
eternal  witness  of  his  achievements.  We  knew  that  he  was 
a  great  king,  for  none  but  such  a  personage  could  accomplish 
Buch  feats.     It  was  touching  to  see  the  consideration  of  the 


328 


A  CONSIDERATE  BULL. 


wild  bull  which  stood  still  with  something  like  a  drum-stick 
in  his  mouth,  while  this  expert  hunter  is  making  up  his  mind 
what  to  do  with  him.  A  book  on  this  subject  says  that  "  the 
hunter  is  supposed  to  have  been  hiding  behind  the  tree  near 
his  right  foot."  We  could  not  suppose  such  a  thing,  however, 
as  the  tree  is  not  as  high  as  his  knee,  and  would  make  only 
a  mouthful  for  the  bull. 


RETURN    OF    THE    HUNTERS. 


A  group  in  another  place  represents  a  doe  suckling  a  young 
fawn.  This  scene  so  touched  the  hunter's  heart  that  instead 
of  killing  them  he  had  them  brought  home  and  put  in  his 
park.  Like  everything  else,  the  execution  is  a  trifle  exaggera- 
ted, but  still  it  possesses  affecting  simplicity.  A  repre- 
sentation of  a  servant  carrying  a  slain  deer  on  his  i^houlders, 
and  leading  two  greyhounds,  is  very  faithful  at  least  as  far 
as  the  dogs  go. 

There  was  one  slab  representing  a  man  out  shooting  with 
bow  and  arrow.  He  had  succeeded  in  beguiling  a  cow  and 
bull  within  short  range  and  was  sending  his  missiles  so  fast 


A  MIGHTY  ARCHER. 


329 


ihat  the  fonrtli  arrow  was  ready  for  a  start  wliile  yet  the 
second  and  third  were  on  tlie  fly — thus  showing  the  superior- 
ity of  ancient  weapons  in  the 
hands  of  ancient  hunters  over 
modern  fire-arms.  It  is  worthy 
of  notice  too,  that  had  the  cow 
been  hit  by  a  ball  instead  of  an 
arrow,  the  noise  of  the  explosion 
would  have  startled  the  bull 
from  his  serene  meditations,  and 
he  would  have  had  a  better 
chance  to  dodge  the  second  ball. 
That  this  archer  was  also  a  great 
hunter  there  can  be  little  doubt, 
for  other  game  is  lying  about 
which  he  had  previously  secured. 
Among  the  lot  is  a  bird  without 
any  tail,  another  without  a  head, 
and  several  specimens  of  races 
now  extinct.  An  accordion  and 
a  fish-hook  near  by  are  suggest- 
ive of  a  person  of  meditative 
and  nmsical  tastes. 

Is  ear  by  the  stone  which  pic- 
tured forth  the  exploits  of  the 
mighty  Kimrod,  we  stumbled 
over  a  skull,  and  thinking  from 
its  proximity  that  it  might  have 
once  belonged  to  the  hunter,  we 
tied  it  up  in  a  handkerchief  and 
carried  it  alone'  as  a  memento  of 
our  visit  to  the  Catacombs.     We 

were  subsequently  tempted  to  leave  it  behind  in  our  room 
at  some  hotel  as  a  joke  on  the  chambermaid ;  but  it  clung 
to  us,  and  with  us  arrived  safely  at  our  home.  Our  friends, 
to  our  surprise,  did  not  take  kindly  to  it,  and  it  was  soon 
wrapped   up   in   a  newspaper  and  deposited  in  an    upper 


330  -A-  MEMENTO  AND  ITS  FATE. 

chamber  of  our  wood-house.  In  the  course. of  tnnc  it  was 
discovered  bj  mice  and  appropriated  to  the  uses  of  a  large 
family  thereof  ;  and  when  the  intruders,  in  turn  were  discov- 
ered, they  and  their  castle  were  demolished  by  blows  rained 
on  them  by  a  sturdy  "  giant-killer  "  armed  with  a  huge  club. 

For  a  long  time  we  wandered  about  among  the  ancient  relics 
of  humanity,  laying  up  material  for  moralizing  and  meditation 
in  after  years.  Kings  and  warriors  had  here  endeavored  to 
leave  behind  them  names  which  would  be  forever  remembered; 
but  already  ruthless  explorers  had  dragged  the  last  relics  of 
departed  greatness  from  their  sepulchres,  and  trampled  them 
in  one  indistinguishable  mass  of  bandages  and  bones,  through 
which  the  traveler  wades  knee-deep,  stirring  up  clouds  of 
dust  at  every  step.  "When  we  finally  left  the  Catacombs,  it 
was  with  a  consciousness  that  we  had  been  guilty  of  little  less 
than  sacrilege. 

One  day  as  we  were  riding  over  the  sands  near  where  once 
stood  ancient  Memphis,  we  chanced  to  meet  an  antique-looking 
excavator  who  took  us  a  short  distance  from  the  road  and 
showed  us  where  a  hole  had  been  dug  in  the  sand,  to  the 
underlying  stratum  of  rock.  Thence  we  followed  him  through 
a  passage  which  led  into  an  immense  underground  hall, 
whose  dimensions  were  only  revealed  as  we  proceeded  with 
our  torches.  On  either  hand  were  smaller  apartments,  to  the 
number  of  forty-two,  each  of  which  contained  a  beautiful 
rose-colored  sarcophagus  made  of  polished  granite. 

As  we  wandered  from  one  stone  coffin  to  another,  a  feeling 
of  respectful  awe  filled  my  mind ;  they  were  so  fine  in  finish, 
and  60  immense  in  size  and  weight,  that  I  could  not  doubt 
that  great  and  renowned  men,  worthy  of  my  sincerest  rever- 
ence, rested  within  them.  But  I  felt  ashamed  of  my  emotions 
when  we  were  told  that  each  chest  onlv  contained  an 
embalmed  bull.  These  bulls  were  the  venerated  gods  for 
which  the  old  Egyptians  had  poured  out  their  lives  and 
treasures ;  to  which  they  bowed  with  veneration  while 
living;  and  for  which,  when  one  died,  all  Egypt  mourned, 
until  the  priests  had  searched  the  land  and  found  a  suitable 
successor. 


AN  EGYPTIAN  SWINDLE. 


333 


When  a  new  bull  had  been  thus  secured  it  was  borne  in 
more  than  kingly  potnp  to  On,  the  city  of  temples ;  "where, 
during  forty  days,  the  people  rejoiced,  and  men  and  women 
cohabited  publicly  in  his  presence.  It  was  the  image  of  this 
Egyptian  bull  that  Aaron  reproduced  with  the  earrings  of 
the  Israelites  at  Iloreb;  and  M-hen  Moses  returned  from  the 
mount  he  found  the  people  enjoying  their  forty  days  of 
feasting  and  wantonness  around  the  golden  beast. 

The  followers  of  Mohammed  who  showed  us  the  siirhts 
and  wonders  of  the  country  seem  to  have  lost  all  respect 
for  the  gods  and  images  of  their  forefathers.  They  not  only 
refuse  to  worship  them,  but  even  imagine  that  the  devil 
and  other  evil  spirits  lurk  about  the  dark  ruins.  After  our 
experience  with  the  bulls  we,  like  them,  no  longer  reverenced 
any  mementoes  of  departed  greatness. 


CHAPTER  XXXYl. 
THE  LANGUAGE  OF  THE  MONUMENTS. 

WHEN  I  stood  in  the  presence  of  the  Great  Pyramid,  I 
felt  that  when  it  was  built  brute  force  must  have  ruled 
the  world.  In  its  erection  no  genius  was  displayed,  as  when 
at  the  touch  of  Grecian  sculptors  blocks  of  snowy  marble 
sprang  into  ideal  life,  full  of  grace  and  beauty.  There  was 
no  display  of  art  and  skill  such  as  is  seen  in  tlie  temples  of 
Italy,  among  whose  aisles  the  visitor  wanders  enchanted.  The 
gigantic  pile  was  merely  a  collection  of  coarse  stones  brought 
together  by  thousands  and  tens  of  thousands  of  men  who 
drudged  out  their  slavish  existence  in  accomplishing  their 
task. 

Learned  men  have  concluded  that  the  largest  stones  of  the 
Pyramids  were  brought  hundreds  of  miles  on  rude  sledges 
drawn  by  multitudes  of  men.  For  what  great  end  was  all 
this  toil  and  hardship  ?  Was  it  for  the  good  of  the  public,  or  to 
celebrate  some  great  event,  or  to  honor  the  memory  of  some 
renowned  character  or  benefactor  of  his  race ?  No!  It  was 
built  by  a  race  of  slaves  to  gratify  the  unreasonable  ambition 
of  a  tyrant  who  had  just  invaded  and  subdued  their  country. 

Yet  some  persons  are  found  who  are  ready  to  laud  this 
ancient  despot  and  to  magnify  the  work  of  his  crouching 
menials.  Often  do  we  hear  men  who  have  never  visited  the 
pyramids  say  that  in  these  days  it  would  be  impossible  to 
erect  such  structures.  But  I  have  not  the  least  doubt  that 
plenty  of  Yankees  can  be  found  who  would  contract  to  build 
a  dozen  pyramids  within  a  specified  space  of  time ;  and  who 

331 


AN  ANCIENT  CITY. 


337 


ymm^ 


II  '.— 


would  do  it  too  at  a  rate  never  dreamed  of  bj  the  original 
builders.  Instead  of  dragging  the  stones  thither  by  hand, 
and  laboriously  raising  them  in  the  same  manner,  the  few 
workmen  required  to  do 
the  job  would  have  a  com- 
paratively easy  time  of  it, 
while  the  "  iron  horse  "  and 
stationery  engine  did  the 
work. 

The  Obelisks  impressed 
us  more  favorably  than  the 
Pyramids.  They  evident- 
ly were  erected  at  a  later 
period  when  art  was  more 
developed.  But  still  the 
single  idea  of  power  and 
solitary  superority  was 
prominent  in  these  impo- 
sing shafts  of  hard  unorna- 
niented  granite.  It  is  said 
that  they  used  to  be  erected  ^ 
at  the  entrances  of  temples 
to  inspire  in  mortals  an  awe  for  the  gods. 

The  obelisk  in  which  we  were  most  interested  carried  us 
back  forty  centuries  to  the  days  of  Ben  Hassan — '*  Old  Ben" 
— whose  name  it  bears.  It  stood  at  the  apex  of  the  Delta, 
lone  and  solitary,  in  a  field  of  growing  corn.  From  fragments 
of  history,  hieroglyphics,  and  tradition,  it  appears  that  here 
was  built  the  most  ancient  city  of  Egypt — if  not  of  the  world. 
It  was  a  city  of  schools  and  colleges,  and  in  it  Joseph  is  sup- 
posed to  have  received  the  hand  of  Asenath,  the  daughter  of 
the  high  priest  of  Egypt,  who  was  next  in  influence  to  Pharaoh 
himself.  Here  the  learned  men  of  Greece  pursued  their 
studies;  and  here  Plato  spent  thirteen  years  of  his  life  in 
poring  over  the  old  Egyptian  ])hilosophy  and  mythology. 
The  world  may  rejoice  that  those  old  papyrus  manuscripts  to 
which  he  had  access  were  afterwards  burned  at  Alexandria; 


YANKEE    PYRAMID   DUILDERS. 


338 


THE  EARLY  PICTURE-WRITING. 


for  tlie  Greeks  have  transmitted  to  us  through  their  my  thology 
all  that  ought  to  be  known  respecting  them. 


KUIMS    OS    lliK    NILE. 


While  amid  the  monuments  of  the  Egyptians  we  made 
a  study  of  their  picture-writings,  and  attained  such  profi- 
cency,  that  when  we  saw  a  line  of  hieroglyphics  in  which 
there  was  a  cow,  a  pig,  a  knife,  and  a  pair  of  scales,  we  read 
it  thus: — "Cows,  sheep,  and  pigs  are  butchered  here,  and 
weighed  out  to  customers."  When  we  observed  in  another 
line,  a  man,  a  lion,  a  bow,  and  an  arrow,  we  understood  that  a 
gentleman  went  out  hunting  the  king  of  beasts  witli  his  bow 
and  arrows.  Such  groups  as  these  were  specimens  of  the 
earliest  picture-writing  of  the  Egyptians. 

But  these  ancients  made  new  discoveries  in  the  course  of 
time.  As  a  stock-dealer  was  corresponding  with  various 
parties  about  the  number  of  donkeys,  geese,  and  camels  he 
had  for  sale,  his  son  said  : — 

"  Now  father,  1  don't  fancy  making  a  donkey  every  time  I 
have  to  write  that  animal.  AVhy  would  not  two  long  ears 
do  as  well  ? " 


INGENIOUS  LEXICOGRAPnERS. 


330 


"And  the  neck  of  the  goose  and  the  hnmp  of  the  camel 
wonld  surely  suggest  their  owners,"  remarked  the  second 
son.     The  father  assented. 

Thus  they  and  their  descendants  continued  to  shorten  and 
render  easy  the  writing  of  each  word,  until  finally  they  bore 
little  or  no  resemblance  to  the  objects  or  thoughts  they  were 
intended  to  suggest  to  the  mind.  There  came  into  use  a 
writing  in  which  few  or  no  hieroglyphics  were  seen,  like  the 
Chinese  s3-mb()ls  of  to-day, — a  curve  representing  one  Mord, 
a  straight  mark  another,  a  cross  a  third,  and  a  dot  a  fourth. 

But  as  ladies  began  to  wear  various  kinds  of  jewelry,  and 
different  textures  of  laces,  and  to  adopt  a  perplexing  number 
of  styles,  terms  so  multiplied  that  it  became  impossible  to  find 
symbols  to  represent  all  the  words; so  the  lexicographers  fell 
to  joining  old  symbols  together  to  represent  new  words. 
Finally,  this  combination  suggested  to  some  ingenious  fellow 
the  idea  of  letting  a  symbol  stand  for  a  sound,  and  as  the  same 
sound  was  found  in  thousands  of  different  words,  it  cut  down 
the  symbols  to  a  score  or  more  and  gave  us  our  alphabet. 

But  the  priests  clung  tenaciously  to  the  original  hieroglyph- 
ics, and  hence  on  the  sides  of  temples,  tombs,  and  mummy- 
cases,  one  sees  all  kinds  of  animals,  plants,  and  other  objects. 


EGYPTIAN    lUtiH    AUT. 


Out  of  this  picture-writing  sprang  painting.     Instead  of 
placing  a  cow,  a  girl,  and  a  whip  in  a  line,  to  be  read :  "A  girl 


340  EARLY  PAINTERS  AND  SCULPTORS. 

drove  home  a  cow,"  they  put  the  whip  in  the  maiden's  hand 
and  represented  her  in  the  attitude  of  urging  homeward  the 
milk  dispensary. 

Later  artists  made  slight  improvements  upon  this  picture, 
by  putting  a  little  flesh  upon  the  arms  of  their  figures  and 
bearing  in  mind  that  a  hawk's  nose  did  not  adorn  the  counte- 
nance of  a  cow.  One  can  trace  upon  tlie  monuments  how 
each  wielder  of  the  brush  benefited  by  the  experience  of  his 
predecessor ;  but  the  most  clever  in  his  profession  never  at- 
tained to  more  than  a  stiff  and  imperfect  representation  of  the 
human  form  divine. 

On  Grecian  vases  and  monuments  which  we  subsequently 
saw,  we  could  trace  the  development  of  painting,  from  its 
rude  infancy  to  the  perfect  delineation  of  human  forms  in  all 
their  graceful  attitudes.  Life-like  color  was  also  given  to  the 
figures — a  thing  which  the  Egj-ptians  never  attempted — and  to 
a  certain  degree  light  and  shade  were  represented.  But  it  was 
left  to  more  modern  painters  to  deceive  the  eye  with  perspect- 
ive, throwing  upon  the  canvas  the  appearance  of  receding 
landscape  filled  with  thousands  of  familiar  objects. 

If  our  artists  wish  to  give  prominence  to  a  general  he  is 
put  life-size  in  the  foreground,  while  staff  officers  and  soldiers 
gradually  grow  smaller  in  the  background.  If  the  Egyptians 
wished  to  give  prominence  to  their  king,  they  made  him  many 
times  larger  than  the  other  men  around  him.  Li  their  battle- 
pieces,  one  file  of  soldiers  is  above  another,  with  a  horizontal 
line  running  between  the  feet  of  the  upper  row  and  the  heads 
of  the  next  lower  one.  I  know  that  antiquarians  love  to 
praise  the  art  of  the  Nile,  but  this  was  its  perfection. 

Sculpturing  too,  like  painting,  sprang  from  picture-writing. 
The  ancients  scratched  the  outlines  of  their  hieroglyphics, 
and  then  covered  them  with  a  coat  of  paint.  Here  was  writ- 
ing, painting  and  sculpturing  in  embryo.  Succeeding  gen- 
erations learned  to  cut  the  outlines  deeper  and  to  round  the 
figures,  producing  bas-reliefs.  At  a  later  period  they  carved 
still  deeper,  and  figures  assumed  the  high  relief;  and  finally 
the  form  of  statues  in  niches  in  the  wall.     Their  finest  imaces 


I 


GRECIAN  ARTISTS. 


3il 


show  a  line  along  the  back  of  each  fif^nre  where  it  was  broken 
from  the  main  block.  Thouijh  some  of  these  imacres  are  of 
overpowering  dimensions,  yet  like  the  paintings  they  all  are 
painfully  stiff.  Greece  carried  this  development  in  statuary, 
as  it  did  in  painting,  to  all  its  perfection  in  grace  and  beauty, 
but  as  sculpturing  is  a  much  simpler  art  than  painting,  little 
room  was  left  for  modern  improvements  in  that  line. 


CHAPTER   XXXVIL 
THE  VESTIBULE  OF  THE  OLD  WORLD. 

AT  last,  leaving  the  truly  Oriental  city  of  Cairo,  we  took 
the  raih-oad  train  for  Egypt's  celebrated  seaport  Alex- 
andria. 

"Hotel  de  Europe,  patronized  by  the  Prince  of  "Wales" 
was  the  inscription  which  met  our  eyes  on  the  door  of  a 
carriage  as  we  stepped  fi-oni  the  cars  at  Alexandria;  and 
although  we  had  never  been  able  to  trace  our  ancestors  back 
further  than  Adarn,  it  occurred  to  ns  that  we  ought  to  keep 
up  the  reputation  of  this  caravansary  by  patronizing  it — 
especially  as  the  prestige  of  Albert  Edward's  visit  might  be 
wearing  away. 

After  becoming  duly  ensconced  in  "  our  inn,"  which,  by 
the  way,  was  worthy  of  all  its  renowned  guests,  we  set  out  to 
inspect  the  city  on  foot.  We  soon  found  that  in  tliis  vesti- 
bule of  the  old  world  were  mixed  and  mingled  all  the 
oddities  of  the  earth;  while  the  walls  that  surrounded  it 
appeared  as  if  they  had  been  patched,  mended  and  remodeled 
by  every  architect  from  the  days  of  Noah  down. 

Thronging  the  streets  were  all  kinds  of  people,  from  all 
countries  under  heaven,  and  of  all  shades  of  color.  They 
wore  all  kinds  of  dresses — from  a  stove-pipe  to  a  turban 
tied  round  the  head — from  the  dandy-fitting  suit  of  Broad- 
way or  Paris  to  the  long,  loose  petticoat-pants  of  the 
Arabs,  and  the  gowns  of  the  priests.  There  were  tall  men 
and  short  men ;  rich  men  and  poor  men,  and  beggar  men, 
and    women   ragged,    crouching,   shriveled,   and    haggard. 


ALEXANDRIA. 


343 


There  were  meTi  of  all  kinds  of  beliefs — Christians,  Moham- 
medans, and  Pagans,  and  men  of  every  kind  of  occupation. 
Upon  the  streets  were  passing  various  kinds  of  vehicles  and 
conveyances,  omnibusses,  stages,  wagons,  drays  like  tM'o  long 
poles  on  two  wheels,  donkeys  innumerable  di'iven  by  donkey- 


STRKET    SCENE    IN    ALEXANDRIA. 


boys,  upon  which  were  seated  Europeans,  Arabs  or  anyone 
else;  interspersed  with  people  afoot,  and  people  like  the 
Chinese  carrying  burdens  on  poles. 

Here  was  a  store  airy  with  Chinese  or  Japanese  ornaments, 
carvings,  and  curious  trinkets;  there  was  another  with  large 
graceful  vases  and  richly  varnished  boxes  profusely  orna- 
mented with  oriental  figures.  There  were  Turkish,  Arabic, 
French,  and  English  stores,  filled  with  outfits  for  India,  and 
other  hot  climates,  grass-plaited  slippers,  hats  like  great 
turtle-shells  but  light  as  cork  and  hung  with  a  white 
curtain  to  protect  the  neck  and  shoulders  from  the  sun ;  suits 
of  morning  gowns,  as  loose  as  those  worn  by  the  men  of 
21 


344 


A  VARIETY  OF  RIDES. 


Japan,  and  tliin  as  paper ;  and  warm  European  outfits  in  all 
the  national  varieties.  Some  of  tlie  narrow  winding  streets 
were  almost  blockaded  by  the  stands  of  street  merchants 
selling  many  varieties  of  merchandise  and  fruits  from  every 

clime. 

From  this  city  one  may  take  a  donkey-ride  into  the 
country,  a  camel-ride  over  the  desert,  a  canal-ride  into  the 
valley  of  the  Kile,  a  railroad-ride  past  the  pyramids  or  to  the 
Suez  Canal,  or  a  steamboat-ride  to  almost  any  place  in  the 
world. 


CLEOPATRA  S    BATHS. 


There  has  been  but  one  Alexander  in  the  world,  and  there 
is  but  one  xllexandria.  This  city  has  never  depended  upon 
a  single  nation  or  empire,  but  upon  the  shifting  fortunes  of 
the  world.  Here  has  been  the  eddy  or  whirlpool  around 
which  human  events  have  swept  ever  since  Alexander  set  the 
world  in  commotion,  by  entering  the  field  of  universal  con- 
quest. Situated  almost  at  the  very  entrance  to  those  three 
old  continents,  Asia,  Europe,  and  Africa,  it  has  naturally 
been  overswept  by  the  pent-up  forces  that  had  accumulated  in 
their  interiors,  yet  when  the  equilibrium  has  been  restored 
here,  this  has  still  been  found  to  be  the  eddy  point. 

We  of  course  visited  the  objects  of  interest  connected  with 


ANTONY  AND  CLEOPATRA. 


345 


the  name  of  Egypt's  beautiful  and  passionate  queen,  Cleopa- 
tra. Taking  a  carriage  we  drove  first  to  "  Cleopatra's  Baths  " 
on  the  sea-shore,  and  saw  the  very  stone  where  her  fair  feet 
had  trod,  but  tread  no  more,  though  the  briny  waves  roll 
through  a  subterranean  passage  just  the  same  as  when  her 
graceful  form  quivered  before  each  incoming  billow.  I  asked 
these  surges  which  had  demolished  one  corner  of  the  apart- 
ment, and  in  another  century  would  roll  in  unobstructed 
through  the  whole  side,  where  she  was  whose  charms  had 
conquered  great  Csesar  and  Pompey — men  who  moved  the 
world  at  their  pleasure ;  but  they  foamed  on  as  before,  and 
offered  no  reply. 

I  love  to  think  of  her  passionate  nature,  and  how,  when 
summoned  by  the  victorious  Antony  to  appear  at  Tarsus,  she 
willingly  went  hither  at 
the  behests  of  a  master 
whom  she  was  about  to 
make  her  slave.  Of  her 
pomp  as  she  approached, 
and  "was  rowed  up  the 
Cydnus  with  silver  oars  in 
time  to  silvery  harmonies, 
reclining  imrobed  as  Aph- 
rodite, on  her  golden  gal- 
ley, with  Nereids  and  Cu- 
pids grouped  around  her, 
and  sails  of  purple  silk 
fluttering  in  the  wanton 
air,  among  clouds  of  in- 
cense that  concealed  the 
river's  banks"  ; — of  the 
charms  that  fettered  him, 
while  his  triumphs  fell  to  cleopatra's  needles. 

pieces,  and  the  golden  opportunity  passed  for  making 
himself  victor  of  the  world ; — how  in  a  fit  of  anger,  she  shut 
herself  within  a  tomb,  and  caused  it  to  be  given  out  that  she 
was  dead ; — how  he  threw  himself  upon  his  sword  while  his 


34:6 


POMPEY'S  FAME  AND  PILLAR. 


dying  command  was : — "  Bury  me  by  the  side  of  Cleopatra"  ; 
liow  she  had  his  body  brought,  and  bathed  his  temples  with 
her  tears,  and  then  after  ordering  a  splendid  feast  and  robing 
herself  as  a  queen,  applied  an  asp  to  her  bosom,  the  sting  of 
which  soon  caused  her  death; — and  how  she  passed  away, 
tired  of  the  world,  after  having  drank  at  every  fountain  of 
pleasure  which  it  could  offer. 

But  neither  these  rocks,  nor  the  billows,  nor  even  the 
breezes  that  used  to  fan  her  cheeks,  now  whispered  her 
name.  So  we  drove  to  Cleopatra's  Needles — the  identical 
shafts  on  which  she  used  to  look  in  her  melancholy  moods 

and  think  of  Egypt's  de- 
parted glory.  They  were 
a  pair  of  real  Egyptian 
Obelisks  brought  from  a 
temple  of  the  ancient  On 
which  we  had  visited,  and 
re-erected  here  in  the 
youth  of  the  Boman  Em- 
pire. One,  however,  was 
now  toppled  over  and 
broken. 

At  a  distance,  as  if 
guarding  the  ruins,  stood 
Pompey's  Pillar,  poetic- 
ally named  after  one  of 
Cleopatra's  renowned  and 
ardent  lovers,  although  it 
was  erected  nearly  three 
centuries   after  he  was 


POMPEY  S    PILLAR. 


dead.  Can  either  Pompey's  name  or  this  Pillar, — to-day 
standing  bright  and  strong  like  a  solitary  granite  column  of 
a  mighty  temple — can  either  crumble  into  oblivion  ?  Time 
answers  "Yes;  the  ocean  is  limited,  but  boundless  is  the  sea 
of  time." 

While  reading  the  Greek  inscription    stating   when  and 
why   this   column  was  erected,   we   observed  some  ragged 


MANUFACTURING  RELICS.  347 

urchins  pecking  away  at  its  pedestal.  Knowing  tliey  could 
make  no  impression  on  this  stone,  we  naturally  kept  one  eye 
on  the  little  rascals  to  see  what  they  were  up  to.  Soon,  off 
flew  three  pieces  of  stone,  which  they  eagerly  scuffled  for 
and  brought  to  us  importuning  us  to  buy  with  such  earnest- 
ness that  we  concluded  to  call  them  relics,  purchase  them, 
and  bring  them  home ;  they  looked  like  fragments  of  the 
Pillar,  and  who  could  ask  stones  to  do  more. 

After  visiting  the  ruins  of  Pompey's  Palace  we  descended 
into  the  imperial  tombs  of  that  period.  I  am  not  aware 
whether  we  saw  the  identical  tomb  in  which  Cleopatra  shut 
herself  to  break  the  heart  of  Antony,  but  I  know  we  came 
across  a  very  fine  one  which  had  been  turned  into  a  church 
in  the  early  days  of  Christianity.  Some  of  the  pictures  of 
the  walls  had  been  cut  away  and  the  slabs  removed  to 
modern  museums. 

When  Joseph  brought  the  babe  Jesus  into  Egypt,  had  he 
gone  into  the  Library  of  Alexandria,  he  would  there  have 
found  a  Greek  manuscript  in  which  it  was  written  : — "But 
thou,  Beth-lehem  Ephratah,  though  thou  be  little  among  the 
thousands  of  Judah,  yet  out  of  thee  shall  he  come  forth  unto 
me  that  is  to  be  ruler  in  Israel ;  whose  goings  forth  have 
been  from  of  old,  from  everlasting."  And  when  the  apostles 
came  here  spreading  the  news  of  how  a  certain  man  had 
lived,  died,  and  rose  again,  they  read  out  of  this  same  Greek 
manuscript,  over  three  hundred  years  old,  and  from  copies 
of  it  how  "  How  he  was  wounded  for  our  transgressions," 
and  "  With  his  stripes  we  are  healed ; "  how  "  He  was 
numbered  with  the  transgressors;"  and  all  those  other 
prophecies  of  the  Old  Testament.  Although  that  manu- 
script was  finally  burned,  yet  copies  of  it  have  come  down 
to  us.  It  is  called  the  Septuagint  because  it  was  translated 
by  seventy  wise  men  chosen  for  that  purpose,  through  the 
desire — if  I  remember  correctly — of  Alexander  to  read  the 
Book. 

Our  most  unpleasant  experience  in  Alexandria  occurred 
just  as  we  were  about  to  leave  for  Naples.    We  had  employed 


348 


WE  FALL  AMONG  THIEVES. 


a  cab  to  take  us  and  our  baggage  down  to  the  wharf.  There 
we  were  besieged  by  a  party  of  Arabs,  who  under  the  pre- 
tence of  seeing  that  we  had  nothing  contraband  about  us, 
seized  our  trunks  and  valises,  and  began  to  overhaul  them. 
They  laid   hands   upon  everything;    opened   every  parcel, 


WILDAIR    EXPRESSES    HIS    OPINION. 


peeped  into  our  card-cases,  and  tumbled  about  our  little 
Oriental  curiosities,  tearing  off  the  soft  paper  in  which  we 
had  so  carefully  wrapped  thera.  Then  they  coolly  demanded 
a  tribute  of  two  rupees  for  their  trouble.  This  was  too 
much  for  our  equanimity.  We  looked  at  our  open  fans, 
beads,  and  strings,  all  twisted  and  tangled — many  of  thera 
scattered  over  the  dirty  wharf — and  without  making  any 
attempt  to  ventilate  our  ideas  in  Arabic,  we  gave  expression 
to  our  opinions  in  downright  English  of  the  most  personal 
description.  , 

At  this,  however,  the  pirates  were  not  in  the  least  dismayed. 
They  persisted  in  their  demand,  with  a  perseverance  worthy 


THREATENED  AVITII  "CUSTOM-HOUSE." 


349 


of  a  better  cause,  threatening  us  "with  "  Custom-house  1 
custom-house ! "  if  we  did  not  comply.  We  had  no  desire 
for  any  more  official  inspection,  and,  while  we  hesitated,  a 
bystander  (who  was  also  an  Ishmaelite),  stepped  up  and 
quietly  suggested : — 

"  Just  pay  them  a  rupee  and  let  them  go." 

"We  were  far  too  angry  to  listen  to  this  sage  advice;  so  the 
Arabs  gathered  up  the  tangled  heap  in  their  arms  and  carried 
it  oflf  to  the  custom-house.  The  officer  there  bestowed  a  single 
glance  upon  us,  and  then  passed  by,  without  a  word.     There- 


A    SliilKK    O.N    IJlJi    UIGU    SEAri. 


upon  we  laid  forcible  hands  upon  our  own  property,  stowed 
it  away  as  well  as  we  could,  and  boarded  a  skiff,  telling  the 
boatmen  to  row  as  quickly  as  possible  to  the  steamer,  for  we 
were  late.  The  Arabs,  however,  still  held  on  to  us  and 
attempted  to  prevent  our  departure.  They  actually  seized 
hold  of  the  boat.  I  never  saw  AYildair  in  such  a  rage  as  at 
that  moment.     He  brandished  his  huge  elephant  cane  over 


350  WE  ESCAPE  FROM  OUR  ENEMIES. 

the  rascals  and  threatened  to  demolish  them  if  they  would 
not  let  go.  It  was  with  difficulty  that  I  appeased  his  wrath ; 
and  finally  by  loudly  threatening  to  call  in  the  assistance  of 
the  police,  we  frightened  our  half-savage  intruders  away. 

We  had  not  gone  very  far  from  the  shore  when  we  met 
with  another  difficulty — the  boatmen  declared  for  double 
fare.  Wildair  told  them  the  proper  charge,  saying  that  he 
would  pay  no  more.  The  boatmen  stopped  rowing.  Wildair 
ordered  them  to  proceed  at  once  or  else  return  to  the  shore. 
Their  leader  threw  himself  back  in  the  boat  and  coolly 
pointed  to  the  steamer,  intimating  that  we  should  be  too  late. 
We  threatened  them  with  arrest  when  we  did  get  to  land 
again;  and  at  last,  somewhat  intimidated,  they  reluctantly 
began  to  paddle  on  again.  In  a  few  minutes  we  were  on 
board  the  steamer,  rejoicing  at  our  escape  from  enemies  on 
sea  and  land. 

"I  hope  you  will  be  sunk  in  the  bottom  of  the  sea,"  was 
the  tender  prayer  uttered  by  one  of  the  disappointed  boat- 
men, as  he  rowed  away.  I  was  almost  tempted  to  toss  a  coin 
after  him,  for  it  was  not  pleasant  to  be  cursed  even  by  an 
extortionate  Arab ;  but  the  vessel  was  moving  on,  and  my 
opportunity  of  turning  the  curse  into  a  blessing  was  lost. 


CHAPTEK  XXXYIII. 
FROM  EGYPT  TO  SICILY  AND  ITALY. 

OUR  steamer  "was  one  of  a  French  line  running  to  and  from 
Marsailles,  France,  and  I  judged  at  first  glance  that  we 
should  have  a  comfortable  time  while  we  were  on  board. 

"We  were  soon  sailing  out  from  the  beautiful  port  of  Alex- 
andria; the  city  disappeared  first,  and  then  its  lofty  light- 
house slowly  receded  from  view,  until  the  coast  of  Africa  was 
lost  in  the  distance.  The  motion  of  the  gently-rolling  waves 
of  the  Mediterranean  was  scarcely  noticeable  in  comparison 
with  the  troubled  waters  of  the  Indian  Ocean ;  and  to  us  the 
voyage  seemed  to  be  across  a  smooth  and  beautiful  lake, 
while  now  and  then  the  white  sails  of  a  ship  appeared  in  the 
distance,  or  the  smoke  of  a  steamer  on  its  way  to  the  East. 

The  passengers  consisted  of  English,  French,  Italians, 
three  Turks,  and  a  couple  of  long-gowned  priests.  On  the 
afternoon  of  the  third  day  we  came  in  sight  of  the  southern 
coast  of  Italy,  and  soon  obtained  a  glimpse  of  the  country 
near  the  shore.  It  was  rough  and  mountainous,  but  green 
with  vineyards;  the  mountains  almost  to  their  summits  being 
thickly  dotted  with  houses,  which  formed  long  straggling 
villages,  while,  lower  down,  the  population  was  evidently 
much  more  numerous.  The  soil,  although  apparently  sterile, 
is  adapted  to  vineyards  and  fruit-trees,  and  the  grapes,  figs, 
oranges,  olives,  and  other  fruits,  form  a  large  part  of  the  food 
of  the  native  Italians. 

Scarcely  had  we  sighted  the  coast  to  our  right,  when  a 
smoky  mountain  to  the  left  came  into  view; — it  was  Moimt 


352 


MOUNT  ^TNA. 


^tna,  the  celebrated  volcano  in  the  island  of  Sicily.  "We 
approached  neai'fer,  until  it  was  only  about  twenty  or  thirty 
miles  distant,  appearing  to  be  nearer  still.  The  smoke  from 
the  crater  poured  down  the  sides  of  the  mountain,  almost 
concealing  it.  At  length  the  breeze  sprang  up,  uncovering 
first  one  rough  corner  and  then  another,  until  nearly  the 
whole  peak  was  disclosed  to  view.  Then  again  the  thick 
sulphurous  smoke  gathered  more  densely,  and  a  low  rumbling 
noise  was  heard,  like  the  sound  of  distant  thunder.  No  erup- 
tion, however,  took  place. 


too,,  '■nr-^.ir.i  .    ■  -  : 


■■^.^^r^,:^;. 


THE   SHORES    OF   ITALY. 


There  is  a  feeling  of  insecurity  ever  hovering  round  the 
base  of  this  mountain ;  yet  such  is  the  richness  of  the  soil,  and 
so  strong  is  the  temptation  it  presents  to  an  idle  population, 
that  many  villages  have  sprung  up  there,  as  it  were  in  the 
very  face  of  death.  During  the  past  2500  years  the  loss  of  life 
and  property  has  been  very  great,  and  all  efforts  to  avoid  the 
force  of  the  eruptions  have  been  altogether  futile.     The  walls 


THE  STRAITS  OF  MESSINA.  353 

of  the  city  of  Catania  were  raised  to  a  height  of  sixty  feet ;  but 
all  in  vain.  When  the  evil  day  arrived  the  tide  of  lava  came 
sweeping  down  against  this  wall,  until  at  lei)gth  it  poured 
over  the  top,  carrying  death  and  destruction  with  it;  and  then 
flowed  on,  a  distance  of  fifteen  miles,  to  the  Mediterranean, 
into  which  it  rushed  with  a  sound  like  thunder,  while  the 
vapor  that  arose  completely  darkened  the  sun. 

We  now  sailed  up  the  beautiful  strait  of  Messina,  between 
mountains  covered  with  vines  and  rustic  dwellings ;  and 
toward  evening  we  anchored  in  front  of  the  charming  city, 
bearing  the  same  name  as  the  strait.  It  appeared  like  a  vast 
amphitheatre  rising  with  its  white  houses  and  dazzling  spires 
and  domes,  bench  after  bench,  up  the  mountain  slope. 

We  decided  to  leave  the  steamer  at  this  place,  and  going  on 
shore  were  soon  wandering  over  a  broad  beautiful  pavement 
fronting  the  strait,  and  made  of  quarried  slabs  of  lava.  We 
ascended  a  narrow  opening  between  the  buildings,  and  stepped 
out  upon  a  second  street,  paved  in  the  same  manner  as  the  first, 
but  broader  and  decorated  with  fountains  and  statues,  while  on 
either  side  were  magnificent  buildings.  As  twilight  began 
to  com.e  on,  the  bells  from  the  churches  and  cathedrals 
chimed  out  in  harmony,  swelling,  and  then  floating  off  on  the 
evening  breeze;  then  dying  away  far  out  upon  the  waters. 
1  have  heard  the  chiming  of  bells  at  Naples,  Yenice,  and 
other  cities  of  Europe,  but  none  seemed  so  beautiful  as  those 
of  Messina. 

When  the  Apostle  Paul  sailed  through  these  straits  as  a 
prisoner,  heathen  temples  occupied  the  sites  where  the 
churches  now  stand.  The  city  was  then  old,  wealthy,  and 
renowned.  It  was  the  station  for  part  of  Ctesar's  fleet,  and 
it  was  here  he  brought  into  vogue  the  Messinian  wine. 
After  he  drank  of  it,  it  of  course  became  fashionable. 

Less  than  a  century  ago  quaking  ^tna,  fifty  miles  south, 
shook  the  city  to  the  ground,  burying  many  of  its  inhabitants  ; 
but  before  long  it  was  rebuilt  grander  than  ever  and  a  popu- 
lation of  a  hundred  thousand  souls  now  resides  within  its  walls. 
Each  of  these  persons  on  an  average  sends  to  our  country 


354  THE  LIGHT-HOUSE  OF  THE  MEDITERRANEAN. 

annually  six  dollars'  worth  of  fruits  and  other  articles.  When- 
ever I  taste  a  nice  orange  or  drink  lemonade  I  think  of  Sicily, 
just  as  when  I  attack  what  I  think  is  a  pumpkin  and  find  it  to 
be  a  pear,  my  mind  reverts  to  California.  Never  before 
did  I  see  such  tine  peaches  as  were  here,  large  as  a  large  apple, 
and  as  rosy  as  the  cheeks  of  a  bride. 

After  remaining  a  short  time  on  the  island  of  Sicily,  we 
went  on  board  of  an  Italian  steamer  bound  for  Naples,  and 
were  soon  under  way.  At  the  eastern  end  of  the  strait,  we 
passed  through  the  narrow  channel  where 

— "Scylla  guards  the  right  hand  coast, 
The  left  is  fell  Charybdis'  post." 

This  Scylla,  said  in  heathen  mythologies  to  have  been  a 
beautiful  nymph  transformed  into  a  sea-monster  by  the 
jealousy  of  Circe,  is  in  reality  a  common  rock  on  the  Italian 
coast;  and  opposite  is  the  boiling  whirlpool  of  Charybdis. 
The  pass,  so  famous  in  Latin  song  and  Grecian  story,  is, 
although  somewhat  perilous,  by  no  means  such  a  hell-gate  as 
the  old  poets  would  have  us  believe  it  to  be.  It  was  form- 
erly more  dangerous  than  now ;  for  in  1793  a  large  portion 
of  the  rock  was  broken  off,  enlarging  the  channel  and  stilling 
forever  the  barking  of  Scylla's  fabled  hounds. 

The  falling  of  this  rock  proved  fatal  to  the  prince  of  Scylla 
and  many  of  his  people  who,  to  escape  from  the  frightful 
earthquake  shocks  on  shore,  had  taken  refuge  on  the  fishing 
boats.  About  midnight,  while  they  lay  asleep  in  their  boats 
the  rock  fell ;  the  sea  instantly  rose  twenty  feet  high  and 
rushed  with  overwhelming  power  upon  the  beach.  All  the 
boats  were  sunk  or  wrecked,  and  1430  Calabrese  perished. 

Shortly  after  midnight,  Stromboli,  the  eternal  lighthouse 
of  the  Mediterranean,  like  the  torch  of  Jehovah,  lighted  up 
the  sea  grandly,  sending  its  rays  far '  and  near  over  the 
waters. 

The  morning  found  us  anchored  at  a  small  town  on  the 
coast  of  Italy,  and  during  the  day  we  stopped  at  other  places 
to  receive  and  discharge  freight  and  passengers.  "We  had  a 
smooth  sea  all  the  way,  but  on  account  of  the  peculiar  shape 


THE  BAY  OF  NAPLES.  355 

of  tlie  vessel  or  an  insufficiency  of  ballast,  vrc  rolled  from 
side  to  side  not  a  Jittle.  In  twenty  or  thirty  minutes  after 
passengers  came  on  board,  they  almost  invariably  became 
sea-sick,  and  a  very  unpleasant  scene  ensued  on  deck.  Two 
Italian  lovers  who,  even  amidst  all  the  pains  of  mal-de-mer 
would  not  separate  for  a  moment,  amused  us  not  a  little. 

In  many  places  along  the  coast  the  mountains  rose  up 
nearly  perpendicularly  from  the  very  water's  edge.  The 
houses  were  scattered  over  tliese  mountains  even  to  their  sum- 
mits ;  some  of  them  looking  like  mere  white  specks  on  their 
lofty  eyries;  and  some,  beneath  -n-hich  the  clouds  hovered, 
looked  as  if  they  were  resting  in  the  midst  of  the  sky.  In  the 
evening  we  enjoyed  a  still  more  beautiful  sight  as  we  watched 
the  rows  of  light  from  those  elevated  abodes,  shooting  out 
upon  the  water,  like  guiding  stars  to  the  wandering  mariner. 

When  we  arose  early  the  next  morning  we  were  anchored 
in  the  Bay  of  Naples,  justly  renowned  as  being  the  most 
beautiful  in  the  world.  From  its  semicircular  margin,  grad- 
ually at  first,  but  finally  more  abruptly,  rose  the  mountains, 
forming  a  vast  amphitheatre.  A  little  to  our  left  the  white 
marble  buildings,  grand  cathedral,  the  columns  and  spires, 
all  glittering  in  the  morning  sun,  seemed  to  smile  across  the 
bay  toward  the  eastern  shore,  still  blushing  in  the  shadow  of 
the  mountains,  while  Vesuvius  raised  its  smoky  head  into  the 
sunlight,  standing  forth  prominently  in  the  gorgeous  scene. 
A  feeling  of  profound  interest  attracted  our  minds  towards 
the  foot  of  Vesuvius,  although  it  had  not  the  glitter  which 
filled  the  world  around  it. 

Shortly  after  sunrise  Caleb  and  I  went  ashore,  and  were  at 
once  conveyed  to  the  "  New-York  Hotel."  Upon  our  arrival 
there  a  dozen  or  more  street-boys  collected  round  to  help  us 
with  our  baggage.  "We  expected  European  boys  would  have 
had  some  manners,  but  those  of  Naples  disabused  us  of  such 
ideas.  There  was  no  one  at  the  door  to  receive  us,  so  we 
thumped  and  rang,  and  pounded  away.  It  was  a  long  time 
before  we  heard  anyon.e  stirring,  but  in  a  moment  more  the 


356  ^  SLEEPY  LANDLORD. 

landlord  came  to  the  door.  He  was  bare-footed  and  in  his 
night-dress  and  looked  as  though  he  had  just  had  an  attack 
of  nightmare.  It  took  him  some  time  to  get  wide  awake 
enough  to  comprehend  why  he  had  been  disturbed.  lie  then 
confusedly  called  a  servant  to  show  us  to  our  room,  and  ex- 
cused himself  for  leaving  us. 

Our  cabman,  a  street-boy  or  two,  and  the  servant,  carried 
our  baggage  up  stairs  ;  but  as  we  did  not  like  the  appearance 
of  things  in  general,  either  in  the  room  or  about  the  hotel,  we 
ordered  a  retreat  to  the  street.  At  the  foot  of  the  stairs  we 
again  met  the  landlord,  now  metamorphosed  into  a  well-dressed 
man.  He  appeared  more  surprised  than  at  our  first  inter- 
view, and  stared  at  us  as  we  went  out,  but  said  not  a  word 
to  his  departing  guests. 

At  a  French  hotel  not  far  away  we  found  things  more 
inviting,  and  were  soon  ensconced  in  a  pleasant  room. 

The  comical  figure  which  the  American  hotel-keeper  cut 
when  he  appeared  before  us  called  to  memory  a  night  visit 
which  we  once  made  in  the  mountains  of  Colorado.  Belated 
and  very  hungry  we  stopped  at  a  log  house  to  ask  for  some- 
thing to  eat.  All  within  was  silent,  and  there  was  no  light; 
60  we  supposed  they  had  gone  to  bed.  Caleb  alighted  and 
knocked.  No  one  opened.  Caleb  knocked  again,  hallooing 
at  the  same  time.  He  waited  a  moment,  and  then  by  the 
way  the  chairs  rattled  we  concluded  some  one  was  coming. 
"We  almost  dreaded  to  see  the  door  open,  for  we  feared  that 
instead  of  a  polite  welcome  we  might  meet  the  muzzle  of  a 
shot-gun. 

At  length  the  door  was  partially  opened,  and  a  ghostly- 
looking  man  very  scantily  attired  cautiously  stuck  his  head 
through  the  opening.  It  was  plainly  to  be  seen  that  he  was 
more  frightened  than  we  were  ;  so  by  way  of  reassuring  him 
we  said  : — 

"  Good  evening." 

"How  are  you,"  was  the  trembling  response. 

"  We  have  been  riding  all  the  afternoon   without  anything 


A  REMINISCENCE  OF  COLORADO. 


or  *» 


to  eat,  and  we  expect  to  ride  on  to  the  next  village  to  night ; 
can  you  let  us  have  a  little  something?" 

"  I'll  see  the  old  woman,"  said  the  ghost ;  and  then  he  drew 
in  his  head. 


S 


'"S-v^-"^ 


A    COLORADO    GHOST. 


In  a  moment  we  heard  a  harsh  voice,  which  we  guessed 
belonged  to  the  "old  woman,"  shouting: — 

"  Who  are  them  fellers,  anyhow?  What  are  tliev  wantin' 
to  eat  this  time  of  night  for?  " 

The  ghost  explained. 

"  Well,"  growled  the  unseen  lady, "  here's  a  i:)arcel  of  bread ; 
that  e'll  do  'era." 

The  bread  was  according!}^  brought.  It  wasn't  larger  than 
one's  fist,  yet  woe  to  the  toes  upon  M-hicli  it  might  drop,  for 
it  was  as  hard  as  a  stone.  1  asked  him  if  we  could  not  have 
some  butter  and  meat. 

The  man  of  the  house  stepped  back  ngain  to  ask  his  wife ; 
and  she  responded  : — 

"What  doii't  them  fellers  want  ?  I  guess  tliev  hain't  had 
nothin'  for  a  week.  Here,  take  'em  this.  We'll  pick  'em 
up  dead-foundered  in  the  ujornino;  somewhere  alonf  the 
road — see  if  we  don't!"  Then  the  ghost  brought  us  some 
butter. 


358  ■'^  GO  FORWARD  REJOICING. 

'  You  can  get  U3  a  little  meat,  can't  you  ? "  said  Caleb. 
The  ghost  again  withdrew  ;  then  from  within  we  heard  his 
wife  saying : — 

"  Ze  swizzards,  that's  enough  for  'em  to  die  on  without 
wastin'  any  more  on  'em !  I  want  you  to  understand  they 
sha'n't  have  nothin'  more  about  these  diggins'.  Keep  a 
woman  a  cookin'  and  a  sweatin'  to  'com'date  some  of  your 
long  yeard  friends  !  Do  you  hear  ?  they  shan't  have  nothin' 
more." 

Without  waiting  to  hear  the  man's  report,  we  settled  with 
him  as  soon  as  possible  for  our  bread  and  butter,  and  then 
went  on  our  way  rejoicing. 


CHAPTER    XXXIX. 
NAPLES. 

TIIE  first  thing  on  the  doclcet  after  arriving  at  Naples  was 
to  procure  the  services  of  a  guide  to  show  us  around. 
A  stately -looking  individual  was  accordingly  introduced  to 
us  as  a  candidate  for  the  position,  and  we  proceeded  to  inves- 
tigate his  ability  to  speak  the  English  language  correctly. 

We  found  that  he  "was  able  to  say  a  few  cut-and-dried 
words  prepared  for  such  occasions,  in  good  style,  but  after 
that  thev  were  so  intermixed  with  lansjuao-es  foreis-n  to  us 
that  we  failed  to  understand  them.  Wishing  to  give  him  a 
fair  chance,  we  asked  him  to  explain  what  was  meant  by  the 
expression  "Everything  is  lovely,  and  the  goose  hangs  high," 
and  other  equally  simple  questions.  A  perfect  torrent  of 
unconnected  semi-English  words  was  his  response.  In  short, 
we  did  not  know  what  he  was  talking  about ;  neither  did  he 
seem  to  understand  us  any  better  when  we  told  him  he  would 
not  answer  our  purpose,  and  tried  to  send  him  away.  His 
jargon  threatened  to  be  interminable,. and  neither  words  or 
motions  would  induce  him  to  leave  us.  Sowe  were  forced 
to  be  impolite,  and  to  appeal  to  an  attache  of  the  hotel  who, 
in  response  to  our  earnest  ejaculation,  "  Take  him  out,"  led 
him  away  by  the  coat-collar.  A  second  guide  now  presented 
himself,  and  although  he  was  an  improvement  on  the  first  as 
far  as  talking  English  was  concerned,  yet  as  he  could  not  run 
well  out  of  his  accustomed  rut,  we  sent  him  away  also.  In 
a  third  individual  we  met  a  man  whose  education  had!  not 
been  neglected,  and  speedily  engaged  him.. 
22  359 


360 


THE  CHURCH  OF  SAN  MARTlNO. 


It  was  Sunday,  and  we  visited  the  Church  of  San  Martino. 
We  were  conducted  down  a  marble  stairway  to  tiie  basement 
of  the  church,  where  we  were  shown  a  sculpture  representing 
the  "  Descent  from  the  cross."  Our  guide  told  us  that  the 
English  had  ofiered  to  purchase  it  for  its  weight  in  gold,  but 
had  been  refused.     The  couch  upon  which  the  Saviour  lav 

the  crown  of  thorns,  the 


thin  white  covering  thrown 
over  him,  were  all  sculp- 
tured from  one  piece  of 
marble;  yet  they  looked 
as  distinct  and  as  natural 
as  though  real.  One  could 
scarcely  believe  that  this 
delicate  covering  as  it 
floated  in  graceful  ridges 
and  curves  over  the 
form  of  the  Saviour 
was  actually  part  of  the 
same  marble  that  composed 
that  form.  Add  to  this, 
that  heavenly  look  that 
shone  from  the  eyes  and 
features  under  that  cover- 
ing, and  surely  this  sculpture  deserved  its  place  among  the 
finest  works  of  art. 

Then  we  visited  the  Cathedral — of  course  the  principal 
ecclesiastical  structure  of  the  city.  The  services  within 
attracted  our  attention  at  once,  as  they  were  of  peculiar 
interest  that  day. 

Saint  Januarius  was  born  in  Naples,  and  at  the  time  of  his 
martyrdom  was  Bishop  of  Benevento.  During  the  reign  of 
Diocletian  this  saint  visited  some  Christian  friends  who  had 
been  cast  into  prison  on  account  of  their  religion.  For  this 
he  was  carried  in  chains  with  other  prisoners  to  Pozzuoli,  a 
few  miles  south-west  of  Naples,  where,  as  the  peo]>le  of 
Naples  believe,  he  and  six  others  were  cast  into  a  den  of  wild 


TAKE    HIM    OtrX! 


I" 


PUBLIC  EXHIBITION  OF  MIRACLES.  361 

beasts,  but  as  tliey  remained  there  unharmed,  they  were 
taken  out  and  beheaded. 

Afterward,  it  is  supposed,  the  remains  of  the  martyr  were 
brought  to  this  cathedral,  and  interred  in  one  of  its  chapels. 
Two  vials  containing  a  hard-looking  substance  supposed  to 
be  his  blood,  and  a  glass  vessel  containing  liishead,  are  kept 
in  another  chapel.  At  three  seasons  of  the  year,  in  May, 
September,  and  December,  these  vials  and  the  vessel  contain- 
ing): the  head  are  brought  near  each  other,  and  miracles  are 
eaid  to  result ;  for  on  such  occasions  the  hard  substance  in 
the  vials  softens  and  turns  into  a  liquid. 

The  exhibition  of  these  miracles  is  made  on  eight  consec- 
utive days.  It  requires  a  longer  time  to  perform  it  on  the 
first  day  than  on  the  following  days,  while  toward  the  last 
it  can  be  done  in  a  very  short  time.  "While  it  is  in  progress 
the  priests  pass  round  collecting  money  from  the  audience. 

Our  visit  chanced  to  be  on  one  of  these  miracle  days.  As 
"we  stepped  in,  the  bishop,  in  his  robes  and  accompanied  by 
a  couple  of  priests  holding  up  his  train,  with  a  stately  solem- 
nity marched  down  from  his  throne  and  passed  to  and  fro 
behind  a  balustrade,  holding  these  vials  in  bis  hands  for  the 
people  to  kiss.  They  crowded  round  him  with  eager  enthu- 
siasm, and  as  they  stretched  their  necks  to  touch  their  lips  to 
the  sacred  relics,  their  countenances  shone  with  ecstasy; 
then,  completely  happy,  they  stepped  back  to  let  others  enjoy 
the  same  boon. 

All  over  the  cathedral  were  confessionals,  round  which 
the  women  were  collected,  to  pour  the  secrets  of  their  lives 
into  the  ears  of  the  priests  within ;  after  which,  they 
received  a  few  words  of  advice  or  consolation  in  a  low  tone 
from  their  spiritual  guides,  and  then  through  an  opening  in 
the  side  of  the  eonfessional,  moved  away  to  make  room  for 
others. 

In  this  cathedral  all  that  was  beautiful  and  to  be  admired 
in  fresco,  painting,  sculpture,  statuar}',  and  other  ornamenta- 
tion of  every  description  seemed  to  be  scattered  everywhere 
in  the  greatest  profusion.     The  firs-t  great  feature  that  we 


362  THE  GREAT  CATHEDRAL. 

noticed  was,  that  a  nave  mucli  higlier  tlian  the  two  side  aisles 
ran  parallel  with  them  from  end  to  end.  On  either  side  of 
this  nave,  and  separating  it  from  the  two  aisles,  ran  a  row  of 
granite  columns  so  higlily  polished  as  to  shine  like  a  looking- 
glass,  wavy  in  places  like  marble.  They  were  square,  yet 
fluted  at  the  corners,  finely  based  and  capped,  very  large, 
high,  and  imposing  to  the  greatest  degree.  The  paintings 
and  frescoes  on  the  ceiling  were  most  exquisite.  The  high 
altar,  choir,  and  balustrades  of  this  nave,  with  their  various 
costly  ornaments  and  gilding,  dazzled  the  eye;  while  the  two 
candelabra  on  jasper  columns,  and  the  chapels  with  their 
frescoes  and  bas-reliefs,  were  ideals  of  beauty. 

This  cathedral  is  built  in  the  form  of  a  Greek  cross,  and 
has  various  crypts  beneath  the  ends  of  the  transverse  portions 
and  nnder  tlie  side  aisles,  for  chapels  and  altars.  Of  the 
various  chapels,  tliat  of  St.  Januarius  is  the  finest.  On  the 
great  bronze  gate  leading  to  it  were  statues  of  St.  Peter  and 
St.  Paul.  Inside  and  around  the  chapel  were  forty-two 
Corinthian  brocatello  columns  cut  with  niches  containinjr, 
besides  those  of  bronze,  thirty-seven  silver  statues  of  dificrent 
saints.  The  marble  of  the  high  altar  was  composed  of  por- 
phyry set  off  in  the  most  costly  style  by  ornaments,  M'hile 
the  bust  of  Jannarius  was  covered  with  rich  embroidery. 
A  large  jeweled  collar  was  about  the  neck,  attached  to  which 
were  shifts  which  this  saint  has  received  from  different  kinirs. 
The  mitre  upon  his  head  Avas  studded  M'ith  nearly  four 
thousand  precious  stones,  not  a  few  of  which  were  diamonds. 
The  six  common  altars  of  this  chapel,  three  on  each  side, 
were  beautifully  frescoed  at  the  angles  and  lunettes,  and  were, 
upon  the  whole,  extremely  beautiful. 

In  the  sacristy  of  this  same  chapel,  were  a  chalice,  dishes 
carved  with  representations  of  our  Lord's  passion,  a  pyx 
surmounted  by  a  cross  studded  with  jewels,  vases,  and 
various  other  objects,  all  in  massive  gold.  There  was  a 
large  sphere  of  silver,  studded  and  inlaid  with  precious 
stones,  and  circled  with  a  row  of  diamonds,  above  which 
were  two  golden  ears  of  corn  which  were  presented  by  Maria 


THE  BOURBON  MUSEUM. 


363 


Teresa  of  Austria.  But  why  attempt  a  description  of  such 
treasures?  Hundreds  of  objects  caught  the  eye,  that  could 
not  be  noticed  by  the  pen. 

Leaving  the  cathedral, 
we  visited  the  Museo  Bor- 
bonico,  or  Bourbon  Muse- 
um— named  after  the  hite 
royal  family.  It  is  situited 
in  the  northern  part  of 
the  city  and  is  the  chief 
object  of  interest  in  Naples. 
As  we  rolled  along,  we  ob- 
served vegetable  and  fish- 
stalls,  wherever  there  was 
room  for  them  on  the  side- 
walks. Children,  ragged 
and  dirty,  thronged  the 
streets ;  yet  they  appeared 
gay  and  active  and  appar- 
ently in  n  o  danger  o  f 
starving;  for  many  stores 
were  full  of  macaroni,  for  sale  so  cheap  that  ten  centissimi, 
or  two  cents,  would  buy  enough  to  supply  a  child  with 
food  for  a  day.  We  passed  a  crowd  collected  round  a 
man  who  was  recounting  the  miracles  performed  by  a  wax- 
work image,  and  met  several  unearthly -looking  beings — 
ragged,  maimed,  and  apparently  suffering  every  possible 
affliction.  One,  in  particular,  was  pointed  out  to  us  as 
"from  America";  but  we  judged  our  guide  was  mistaken. 

On  arriving  at  the  museum  we  entered,  and  at  once,  from 
the  indication  of  the  number  of  halls,  and  the  numberless 
objects  of  interest  from  different  nations  and  of  different 
epochs,  perceived  that  we  had  a  grand  treat  before  us ;  but 
before  we  were  half  through  all  the  windings  of  the  building, 
or  had  seen  a  quarter  of  the  objects — numbering  a  great 
many  thousands — we  found  that  our  first  idea  of  its  vastness 
and  variety  fell  far  short  of  the  reality. 


AN    AFFLICTED    NEAPOLITAN. 


364 


ANCIENT  MARBLES. 


On  the  ground-floor,  most  of  the  ancient  paintings  -were 
from  Pompeii  and  Herculaneum ;  but  many  of  them  though 
beautifully  executed  were  now  considerably  faded.  Venus 
weeping  over  the  death  of  Adonis;  the  thirteen  female 
dancers,  very  graceful  in  appearance ;  the  Trojan  horse ; 
Hercules  slaying  the  Nemean  lion,  and  Charity,  or  Perronea 
suckling  her  own  father  Simon,  were  among  the  number. 

The  collection  of  ancient  marble  statues  and  bas-reliefs  was 
mostly  from  Pompeii,  Herculaneum,  and  other  ruined  cities 
not  only  of  Italy,  but  of  Greece.  Here  was  a  dying  gladiator, 
a  victorious  athlete,  and  a  group  in  which  two  men  were  skin- 
ning a  hog  to  offer  as  a  sacrifice.  There,  in  bas-reliefs,  were 
figures  that  stood  out  boldly  from  the  slabs ;  and  again,  those 
that  only  slightly  projected.  Here  were  delineated,  on 
different  slabs,  the  sports  of  the  circus;  a  faun  striking  a 
child,  and  a  cupid  riding  a  dolphin  ;  and  an  antique  Grecian 
work  representing  a  hunter  resting ;  also  Bacchus,  followed  by 
bacchanites  and  fauns,  just  sitting  down  to  the  banquet. 


BACCHANALIAK   DASCE — POMPEII. 


In  the  gallery  of  Adonis  was  the  celebrated  hermaphrodite 
faun,  covered  by  a  transparent  garment,  allowing  only  a 
glimpse  of  its  curious  shape.  This  divinity  was  found  in 
the  ruins  of  Pompeii. 

In  another  gallery  was  the  renowned  group  of  the  Toro 


BRONZE  STATUES— CABINET  OF  GEMS.  365 

Farnese,  or  the  Farnese  bull.  This  represented  the  two  sons 
of  Antiope  avenging  their  mother  by  tying  to  the  horns  of  a 
bull,  Dirces,  the  wife  of  Lycus,  king  of  Thebes.  This  king, 
having  ascended  the  throue,  slew  the  husband  of  Antiope, 
and  carried  her  to  Thebes,  where  she  was  cruelly  treated  by 
Dirces;  upon  which  her  sons  rose  up,  took  the  city,  and  put 
to  death  her  persecutors. 

The  gallery  of  bronze  statues  contained  the  finest  collec- 
tions of  their  kind  in  existence.  Most  of  these  were  from 
Pompeii  and  Ilerculaneum.  The  dancing  faun  was  very 
graceful;  the  wrestlers,  the  huntress  Diana,  and  an  equestrian 
statue  of  Nero,  we  very  much  admired;  while  the  statue 
found  in  Herculaneura,  representing  Mercury  in  repose,  is 
considered  to  be  the  finest  bronze  statue  in  the  world. 

Passing  from  the  ground-floor  to  the  one  above,  we  immedi- 
ately entered  the  halls,  six  in  number,  of  the  small  bronzes. 
These  halls  contained  a  collection  of  upwards  of  fifteen  thou- 
sand objects,  consisting  of  various  articles  representing  the 
domestic  life  of  the  inhabitants  of  Pompeii  and  Ilerculaneum. 
There  were  lamp-stands,  lamps,  chandeliers,  balances,  weights, 
steelyards,  instruments  of  husbandry,  kitchen  and  bathing 
utensils,  tools,  horse-trappings,  armor,  pieces  of  carts,  objects 
of  religious  and  public  worship,  theatrical  tickets,  surgical  and 
musical  instruments,  and  various  other  objects. 

The  cabinets  of  gems  and  precious  objects  were  especially 
interesting.  Here  were  upwards  of  forty  thousand  coins  of 
various  periods,  fi'om  Magna  Graecia,  Sicily,  and  other  coun- 
tries. The  jewelry,  cameos,  intaglio  ornaments,  and  precious 
and  peculiar  objects  from  Pompeii  and  Herculaneum  were 
numerous.  Here  were  loaves  of  bread  and  biscuits,  consider- 
ably charred,  but  of  the  same  shape  as  when  put  in  the  oven 
to  bake,  having  been  left  behind  in  that  terrible  flight  before 
the  torrents  of  ashes,  cinders,  and  lava,  which  overwhelmed 
those  cities  nearly  two  thousand  years  ago.  Fruits  in  glass 
dishes,  just  as  they  were  placed  in  the  safe  or  upon  the  table, 
bottles  of  wine,  vegetables,  and  nuts,  were  among  the  collec- 
tions in  this  part  of  the  museum.    Also  finger-rings,  still  on 


366  AN  ECCLESIASTICAL  PROCESSION. 

the  skeletons  fingers  of  those  wlio  once  owned  them ;  and 
other  jewelry  which  had  been  removed  from  skeletons  which 
now  looked  grimly  out  from  their  glass  cases. 

We  now  came  to  the  other  halls  of  painting.  These  halls 
are  eight  in  number.  The  paintings  were  collections  from 
different  schools,  from  the  eleventh  century  down  to  the 
present  time.  They  were  almost  entirely  representations  of 
Christ,  the  Yirgin  Mary,  the  disciples  and  martyrs,  and 
of  the  struggles  and  battles  between  Chribtians  and  their 
persecutors.  The  hall  of  the  master-pieces  was  the  finest. 
Here  we  saw  Cupid  slumbering  while  the  Zephyrs  shook  his 
wings ;  Christ  seated  in  heaven  crowning  the  Virgin  Mary 
with  the  clouds;  the  Last  Judgment,  copied  from  Michael 
Angelo's  picture  at  Home  ;  "  The  Holy  Family  "  by  Kaphael; 
Titian's  celebrated  Magdalen  in  Prayer,  and  many  others. 

This  ended  the  museum,  and  we  returned  to  our  hotel 
feeling  that  our  day's  work  had  exhausted  us  more  than 
mauling  rails  would  have  done  ;  yet  we  felt  fully  repaid  for 
the  time  and  fatigue. 

Soon  after  reaching  our  hotel  we  saw  a  procession  coming 
down  the  street.  In  the  van  were  fifteen  or  twenty  priests 
in  their  proper  robes.  Behind  was  the  bisliop  in  full  eccle- 
siastical vestments;  while  on  either  side  were  two  priests 
carrying  a  canopy  over  his  head.  On  either  side  and  behind 
were  soldiers  bearing  muskets.  As  they  passed  along,  the 
people  in  the  street  and  on  the  side-walks  fell  upon  their 
knees,  and  crouched  upon  the  ground ;  and  even  our  French 
landlord — a  very  intelligent  man — did  the  same.  We  had 
heard  of  some  instances  when  foreigners  who  did  not  bow 
down  to  the  processions,  had  been  struck  on  the  knees  by 
parties  bearing  clubs  to  enforce  the  necessary  amount  of 
reverence. 

After  taking  some  refreshments,  Caleb  and  I  took  a  stroll 
on  foot.  I  had  often  heard  that  in  Italy,  and  especially  in 
Naples,  the  greatest  contrasts  in  social  life  were  to  be  seen ; 
and  we  were  soon  convinced  of  the  truth  of  this  statement. 
Here  came  a  carriage  and  horses,  finer  than  any  we  had  ever 


A  STROLL  THROUGH  THE  CITY, 


367 


Been  before.  The  horses  were  large  fiery  blacks  with  feathers 
in  their  heads.  Two  stylish  gentlemen  wearing  white  kid 
gloves,  one  of  whom  acted  as  driver,  sat  in  front  on  a  lofty 
seat,  while  their  long  coat-tails  hung  down  behind,  sparkling 
with  bright  buttons.  In  the  carriage  proper  sat  four  laughing 
belles,  with  hats  well  feathered  and  richly  trimmed,  to  say 
nothing  of  the  shiny  ribbons  floating  from  their  necks  and 
arms.  As  they  passed  they  bestowed  a  smile  on  Caleb  and 
myself.  Scarcely  had  they  disappeared  when  there  came 
a  donkey  drawing  a  sort  of  go-cart,  containing  an  old  woman 
and  her  numerous  famil)'  of  daughters,  all  ragged  and  dirty, 
piled  in  among  old  rags,  bags,  baskets,  and  trash. 

Then  we  heard  most  enchanting  singing  and  instrumental 
music  floating  from  the  parlor  of  some  Italian  mansion.     It 


MUTUAL    RECOGNITION. 


was  a  lady's  voice ;  and  we  listened  delighted ;  but  in  the 

midst  of  the  song  we  were  suddenly  startled  by  a  horrible 
braying  close  to  our  heads. 

"  He-haw !  he-haw  !  " 

"  Get  out  you  jackass,  or  I'll  be  the  death  of  you,"  was  my 
polite  reply. 

We  passed  on  a  short  distance,  and  then  across  the  street 


368 


THREE  YOUNG  LADIES. 


came  three  young  ladies  with  flowers  in  their  hands,  as  if  to 
intercept  us.  They  drew  near,  smiled,  and  then  began  to 
place  a  flower  or  two  in  our  button-holes;  at  the  same  time 
making  signiticaut  gestures.  Caleb's  virtuous  indignation 
luckily  came  to  our  relief,  and  before  it  they  quailed  and 
ehrunk  abashed  away. 

At  sundown  we  wandered  back  to  the  hotel,  and  after 
dark  amused  ourselves  in  looking  across  the  waters  of  the 
bay  to  "Vesuvius,  as  it  poured  down  its  fiery  stream  of  lava. 
AVe  retired  to  rest  with  the  pleasing  thought  that  we  were 
soon  to  see  the  volcano  face  to  face. 


CHAPTEK    XL. 
WONDERS  OF  THE  COAST  WEST  OF  NAPLES. 

AT  early  morn  we  were  in  our  cab,  and  wheeling  through 
the  streets  in  the  western  suburbs  of  Naples.  We 
halted  at  the  Yilla  Reale,  a  magnificent  promenade  for  the 
fashionable  world,  or  rather  a  place  for  mutual  admiration 
and  self-exhibition.  It  was  too  early  for  Caleb  and  myself 
to  show  ourselves  oif  on  the  promenade,  so  we  gave  our 
attention  to  the  attractions  of  the  place.  Its  natural  beauties 
could  hardly  be  excelled,  for  the  Villa  Peale  runs  lengthwise 
along  the  bay,  with  pleasant  alleys  and  winding  paths, 
shaded  with  evergreens  and  acacias,  and  adorned  with  some 
remarkable  grottoes,  gardens,  fountains,  and  statues,  and  two 
small  temples  dedicated  to  Yirgil  and  Tasso. 

In  one  place  was  an  elliptical  fountain,  from  the  centre  of 
which  rose  up  in  large  proportions  two  marble  statues  repre- 
senting Hercules  strangling  the  giant  Anteus.  In  the  centre 
of  another  fountain  was  a  group  of  three  figures  representing 
the  rape  of  Egina,  the  girl  turning  her  eyes  toward  her 
defender,  in  whose  arms  she  was  held,  while  her  despoiler 
was  trampled  imder  his  feet.  In  another  part  of  this  prom- 
enade we  noticed  a  fighting  gladiator  whose  muscles  and 
nerves  were  finely  executed  ;  and,  again,  Hercules  hilling  the 
Nemean  lion — the  hero  has  his  knee  upon  the  lion's  back 
and  is  rending  apart  his  jaws. 

A  short  distance  beyond  the  Yilla  Reale,  the  shore  curves 
round  a  hill  or  promontory.  Through  this  elevation  the 
ancients  cut  a  tunnel,  as  a  means  of  easier  communication 

3G9 


370 


THE  TOMB  OF  VIRGIL. 


between  Naples  and  the  country  round  the  bay.  It  was 
called  the  grotto  of  Porilipo.  Immediately  before  entering, 
we  noticed,  a  few  steps  to  the  left,  the  supposed  tomb  of 
Yirgil.  Naples  was  the  poet's  favorite  resort,  and  it  is  said 
that  after  his  death  Augustus  had  his  remains  conveyed  to 
the  place  he  so  much  admired.     However  this  may  be,  the 

people  of  Naples  should 
be  ashamed  of  themselves, 
since  they  believe  this  is 
his  tomb,  to  have  allowed 
it  to  be  so  sadly  neglected. 
We  passed  through  the 
tunnel  and  found  it  a 
delightful  place  for  a  drive. 
It  is  nearly  half  a  mile  in 
length,  twenty-two  feet 
wide,  and  in  some  parts 
sixty -five  feet  high,  and 
arched  at  the  top. 

Passins:  out  from  the 
tunnel,  we  observed  that 
the  ground  near  its  en- 
trance was  of  volcanic 
origin  ;  in  fact,  such  was 
TUNNEL  AT  NAPLES.  the    casc  for  miles  along 

this  shore.  Old  craters,  and  the  dehris  which  they  had  thrown 
up  were  frequently  to  be  met  with.  At  different  places  we 
stopped  at  mineral  springs  of  various  degrees  of  warmth, 
each  having  a  peculiar  quality  of  its  own.  The  ancients 
made  them  a  constant  resort,  as  they  were  supposed  to  effect 
wonderful  cures,  but  for  some  reason,  in  modern  times,  they 
have  fallen  into  disuse. 

In  one  of  the  smaller  hills,  facing  the  laTce  of  Agnano,  was 
that  peculiar  phenomenon,  the  renowned  "  Grotto  del  Cane," 
a  dark-looking  place  four  feet  wide  and  nine  or  ten  deep. 
At  the  bottom  of  this  grotto  is  a  deposit  of  carbonic  acid  gas 
which  rises  to  the  height  of  about  a  foot  and  a  half.     A  man, 


THE  DOGS'  GROTTO. 


371 


may  safely  enter;  but  dog?,  who  do  so,  except  the  larger 
species,  inliale  the  poisonous  gas,  which  immediately  proves 
fatal  to  them.  The  ancients  were  acquainted  with  this  phe- 
nomenon, which  to  them  was  a  mystery,  and  on  that  account 
they  gave  it  its  present  name,  which  signifies  the  Dogs' 
Grotto. 

The  young  rascals  in  the  neighboring  villages  used  to  drive 
quite  a  profitable  trade  in  animals  of  the  canine  and  feline 
races.  On  auspicious  nights  they  used  to  lie  in  wait,  at  back 
doors  and  corners  which  their  four-footed  victims  were  likely 


ENTICING    A    VICTIM. 


to  frequent.  If  not  frightened  away  by  the  sudden  appear- 
ance of  the  ragged  urchin  and  his  bag,  the  animal's  fate  was 
sealed.  The  tempting  bait  allured  him  nearer  and  nearer, 
until  within  the  clutches  of  the  enemy.  The  next  day  he 
would  be  sold  to  inquisitive  travelers,  and  for  their  edification 
let  down  into  the  poisonous  gas  of  the  grotto. 

Leaving  this  interesting  grotto,  we  drove  westward  along 
the  bay,  and  soon  came  to  the  city  of  Pozzuoli.  Ruins  every- 
where met  the  eye,  and  the  place  presented  a  very  dilapidated 
appearance.  When  Pozzuoli  was  founded,  no  one  can  tell. 
Its  origin  dates  back  to  the  obscurity  of  long-past  ages; 
some  historians  believing  that  it  was  founded  many  years 
antecedent   to  the  Trojan   war.     It  was  a   flourishing  city 


372  ■*■  CITY  IN  RUINS. 

during  the  days  of  the  Koman  republic,  for  Cicero  called  it 
"  Little  Rome."  In  those  days,  this  city,  together  with  the 
villages  farther  along  the  shores  of  the  bay,  were  resorted  to 
by  the  wealthy  and  powerful  citizens  of  Rome  during  the 
summer  months,  and  here  they  had  their  magnificent  baths 
and  villas. 

After  the  fall  of  the  Roman  empire  Pozzuoli  was  taken  at 
various  times,  and  was  almost  reduced  to  a  heap  of  ruins. 
The  incursions  of  the  Goths,  Yandals,  Lombards,  Saracens, 
Normans  and  Turks,  together  with  the  earthquakes  and 
volcanic  eruptions  by  which  this  city  has  been  visited,  lielped 
to  reduce  it  to  its  present  condition.  During  the  eartliquake 
and  eruption  in  the  year  1538,  it  was  so  greatly  injured  that 
it  was  almost  entirely  deserted.  So  fearful  was  the  shock 
that  the  sea  retired  from  the  shore  upwards  of  two  hundred 
yards ;  and  in  the  short  space  of  two  days  the  Monte  Nuovo, 
which  we  saw  soon  after  leavine:  Pozzuoli,  rose  to  the  height 
of  four  hundred  feet. 

As  we  gazed  upon  this  place  it  presented  to  view  a  collec- 
tion of  old  foundations,  old  walls  of  brick  and  stone, 
partially  crumbled  houses,  temples,  and  theatres,  all  scattered 
here  and  there  upon  the  rough  hills  among  a  few  new,  and, 
of  course,  inhabited,  buildings.  By  the  word  new,  I  mean 
comparatively  so;  for  many  of  them  were  more  than  a 
century  old. 

We  visited  the  temple  of  Serapis,  and  noticed,  several  feet 
above  its  pavement,  holes  in  the  columns,  eaten  by  mollusks  ; 
in  fact,  many  of  their  shells  remained  partly  embedded, 
adhering  as  firmly  as  though  they  M'ere  a  portion  of  the 
original  stone — thus  indicating  that  the  sea  at  one  time 
flooded  the  lower  part  of  this  temple.  Again,  from  pave- 
ments of  former  years  being  found  below  the  present  sea- 
level,  it  seems  that  at  one  time  the  sea  was  much  lower  than 
at  present,  and  about  thirty  feet  lower  than  at  the  time  when 
those  mollusks  were  at  work  upon  these  columns.  Other 
edifices,  also  along  the  shore  of  the  bay,  not  far  from  this 


THE  AMPniTUEATRE.  373 

point,  ■w'hich  were  on  dry  land  at  the  time  of  Augustus,  are 
now  partly  under  water. 

In  the  centre  of  Pozzuoli  was  the  amphitheatre ;  well 
preserved,  and  stupendous  in  structure.  Thirty  thousand 
people  could  easily  he  accommodated  with  seats  within  its 
walls.  The  great  arena  was  three  hundred  and  sixteen  feet 
in  length,  and  one  hundred  and  thirty  feet  in  breadth.  This 
was  the  scene  of  combats  between  men  and  men,  men  and 
wild  beasts,  and  between  wild  beasts  themselves.  Surround- 
ing this  arena  was  a  wall  ten  or  twelve  feet  high,  surmounted 
by  a  railing  to  prevent  the  furious  wild  beasts  from  spring- 
ing over,  while  from  behind  the  railing  rose  the  seats,  one 
behind  another,  like  a  huge  flight  of  steps,  reaching  back  to 
the  outer  wall  and  rising  to  its  summit.  Here  were  iron 
bolts  running  down  into  the  wall,  by  means  of  which  a 
canvas  was  stretched  over  the  vast  concourse  of  people.  The 
gladiators  entered  from  doors  at  each  end,  while  the  wild 
beasts  were  suddenly  sent  up  from  their  dens  below  through 
trap-doors  in  the  platform  of  the  arena.  Then  the  combat 
commenced,  which  was  to  end  in  the  death  of  man  or  beast, 
or  probably  both;  while  the  shouts  of  the  spectators  rose 
louder  and  louder,  as  the  danger  of  the  combatants  became 
more  imminent,  till  the  fatal  climax  was  reached. 

AYe  went  below  and  visited  some  of  the  dens  for  the  wild 
beasts.  They  were  generally  dug  into  the  side  of  the  earth, 
walled  round,  and  closed  in  front  by  an  iron  gate.  Our 
guide  conducted  us  to  one  of  these,  into  which  Saint  Janua- 
rius  (spoken  of  in  a  previous  chapter)  was  said  to  have  been 
thrown  unharmed. 

The  boat-fights  between  gladiators  were  hold  in  this 
amphitheatre.  Part  of  the  platform  of  tlie  arena  was 
removed,  and  then  heavy  sliding  doors  closed  in  a  rectangu- 
lar space,  into  which  the  water  flowed  through  an  aqueduct 
connected  with  the  bay.  The  boats  of  the  gladiators  were 
then  introduced,  and  the  deadly  combat  began. 

It  is  recorded  in  the  twenty-eighth  chapter  of  the  Acts  of 
the  Apostles,  that, — "  After  one  day  the  south  wind  blew, 


374: 


ANCIENT  PUTEOLI. 


and  we  came  tlie  next  day  to  Puteoli."  We  found  that  the 
ancient  Puteoli  is  the  same  as  our  modern  Pozzuoli.  Our 
guide  showed  us  some  marble  steps  running  down  into  the 
water,  which  the  people  held  in  great  veneration.  They 
considered  them  to  be  the  same  that  St.  Paul  first  set  foot 
upon  when  he  landed  at  Pozzuoli.  What  a  contrast ! — we 
alighted  at  these  same  steps  from  a  cab. 

As  we  were  about  to  proceed,  a  score  of  little  boys  collected 
round  us,  and  brushed  the  dust  from  our  carriage  seats. 
Notwithstanding  their  number,  nearly  every  one  contrived 
to  give  the  cushions  a  rub,  or  at  least  a  touch;  and  some  of 
them  volunteered  to  brush  the  dust  from  our  boots.  As  we 
stepped  into   our   vehicle,   two   score   of   little   paws  were 


RESULT    OF    PAYING    OFF   THE    BOYS. 


thrust  towards  us.  As  we  could  not  undertake  to  reward 
them  all,  Caleb  thought  it  would  be  the  fair  thing  to  give 
every  one  an  equal  chance;  so  he  threw  a  handful  of  coins 
towards  them.  The  result  was  a  big  scramble,  a  pile  of  legs 
and  necks,  heads  and  feet,  arms,  hands,  and  bodies,  scraping 
and  rooting  in  the  dust,  while  from  beneath  came  mingled 
cries  of  pain  and  disappointment.     We  hurried  away,  for  we 


CICERO'S  VILLA— LAKE  LUCRIXE.  375 

were  fearful  that  we  might  be  called  upon  to  pay  a  surgeon's 
bill. 

Our  attention  was  drawn  to  the  extensive  ruins  of  the  villa 
of  Cicero.  These  ruins  were  parti}'  submerged  in  the  bay, 
yet  the  walls  looked  as  if  they  would  stand 'the  washing  of 
the  waves  for  long  years  to  come.  Here  Cicero  composed 
his  "  Quaestiones  Academicse."  Continuing  our  journey, 
we  scarcely  ever  lacked  entertainment  from  some  ruin  or 
other,  while  the  baths  especially  attracted  our  attention, 
their  size  and  numbers  being  almost  beyond  belief. 

We  passed  the  Lucrine  Lake,  only  a  short  distance  from 
the  bay.  Unfortunately  this  beautiful  lake  Mas,  by  the  erup- 
tion in  1538,  partially  filled,  and  much  of  its  beauty  spoiled. 
It  was  celebrated  among  the  ancients  fur  the  pleasure  parties 
that  visited  its  waters  at  night;  and  as  I  looked  out  upon  its 
surface  I  almost  realized  the  gay  scene  which  it  must  have 
presented  in  that  far-off  time. 

Lake  Avernus  to  the  west  of  Monte  Nuovo,  appeared  to 
be  situated  in  an  extinct  volcano;  extinct  probably  ages 
before  Homer's  time.  At  least  he  sang  of  the  thick  and 
wild  forests  once  surrounding  this  lake,  and  the  grottoes 
into  which  the  light  of  the  sun  never  penetrated,  which  were 
the  homes  of  the  Cimmerians — a  people  who  took  the  greatest 
interest  in  hearing  or  relating  stories  of  the  marvelous 
eruptions  of  the  volcano.  From  tlie  peculiar  vapors  arising 
from  these  waters,  the  ancients  supposed  that  every  bird  that 
winged  its  flight  across  them  dropped  lifeless;  and  tradition 
said  that  this  was  the  place  where  Ulysses  made  his  descent 
into  the  lower  regions. 

A  short  ride  to  the  west  of  this  lake  terminated  our  excur- 
sion in  that  direction.  This  was  at  a  point  ten  miles  west  of 
Kaples.  Here  were  to  be  found  the  ruins  of  Baife,  situated 
on  a  bay  of  the  same  name,  extending  into  the  land,  from 
the  larger  bay  of  Naples.  This  city  was  never  equal  to 
Pozzuoli  in  commercial  importance,  but  if  possible  was  more 
lovely  in  appearance,  on  account  of  its  position  on  this  beau- 
tiful little  bay,  and  also  because  of  its  thermal  springs  and 
23 


376  ^  TEMPLE  OF  VENUS. 

delightful  climate ;  the  north  -winds  being  warded  off  by  the 
hills  in  the  rear,  while  the  delicate  breezes  from  the  waters  of 
the  bay  came  fanning  the  city  into  repose.  According  to 
Horace,  it  was  the  most  delightful  place  on  earth.  Magnifi- 
cent villas  once  existed  here  belonging  to  Cresar,  Augustus, 
Pompey,  Tiberius,  Nero,  Domitian,  Adrian,  Crassus,  Caligu- 
la, Caracalla,  Piso,  Ilortensius,  and  other  wealthy  and  ambi- 
tious Ilomans. 

At  the  fall  of  the  Koman  empire  the  splendors  of  this 
place  decayed,  and  now  the  warm  springs,  from  long  disuse, 
have  become  stagnant  pools,  and  from  the  innumerable 
decaying  ruins  scattered  here  and  there,  miasmatic  vapors 
arise,  spreading  sickness  and  disease  over  this  once  fair  and 
salubrious  resort.  An  old  castle,  near  which  now  and  then 
a  vessel  anchors,  together  with  six  or  eight  houses  built  out 
of  the  surrounding  ruins,  are  the  only  signs  of  haliitation. 

The  ruins  consist  mostly  of  bricks,  mosaics,  and  bn^ken 
walls,  scattered  over  the  soil,  with  here  and  there  the  foun- 
dation of  some  palace  or  bath,  extending  now  far  down  into 
the  water,  thus  indicating  a  change  of  suiface  in  the  ground. 
There  are,  however,  three  structures  pretty  well  preserved. 
These  were  once  thought  to  be  temples  of  Diana,  Mercury, 
and  Yenus;  but  subsequent  research  has  ])roved  that  the 
two  first  at  least,  were  baths ;  the  last  probably  was  what  it 
was  first  supposed  to  be — a  temple  of  Venus.  These  struc- 
tures stand  at  the  foot  of  a  hill.  Before  each  is  built  a  house, 
fenced  round,  with  a  gate  which  is  opened  b}'  tlie  inmates 
when  visitors  wish  to  enter.  Within  the  enclosure  are  small 
gardens  containing  grapes  and  other  fruits.  "We  made  a 
trifling  purchase  as  it  was,  of  course,  expected  that  we  would. 

When  visiting  one  of  the  baths,  three  or  four  women  and 
girls,  with  turbans  round  their  heads,  and  some  rude  musical 
instruments  in  their  hands,  followed  us.  They  danced,  sang, 
and  played.  Although  they  had  not  the  lightest  feet  or  the 
most  delicate  steps,  their  performance  was  comical  in  its 
rudeness.  When  the  dance  was  over  they  passed  a  basket 
round  for  donations.     We  contributed  a  few  small  coins,  but 


ANCIENT  BATHS. 


377 


from    their   dissatisfied    looks   and   actions   thej   evidentlj 
expected  more. 


DISSATISFIED    DAMSELS. 


The  appearance  of  the  two  baths  was  very  singular.  With- 
out and  within  they  were  circular,  and  appeared  like  vast 
domes  resting  upon  the  ground.  An  immense  basin  was 
scooped  out  of  the  ground  in  each  ;  the  bottom  of  which  was 
inlaid  with  mosaics.  The  temple  of  Venus  had  also  the 
appearance  of  a  dome,  and  was  of  beautiful  proportions, 
octagonal  on  the  outside  but  circular  within. 

At  a  rude  hotel  close  by,  we  took  a  late  dinner.  Our 
meal  consisted  of  bread,  cheese,  and  eggs  boiled  very  hard. 
Our  guide  ate  in  the  kitchen ;  I  do  not  know  whether  it  was 
on  account  of  his  not  wanting  to  impose  his  presence  upon 
us  while  at  the  table,  or  because  he  M'anted  something  better 
than  was  set  before  us. 

As  the  sun  was  sinking  in  the  west,  we  were  again  rolling 
along  the  streets  of  Naples  toward  our  hotel,  forgetful  of  the 


378  THE  FAIR  NEAPOLITANS. 

ruins,  for  all  around  us  were  objects  more  attractive  to  young 
men — ladies  taking  their  evening  rides.  "  Beautiful "  is  too 
weak  a  term  to  apply  to  the  "sweet  sixteens"  of  Naples.  I 
never  saw  ladies  that  more  completely  took  my  eye — with  the 
exception  of  one.  Even  Caleb  was  captivated ;  his  counte- 
nance never  shone  so  pleasantly  as  when  these  laugliing 
belles  rode  past  us.  I  could  not  blame  him.  The  black 
flowing  hair,  the  black  sparkling  eyes,  the  rosy  complexion, 
and  the  almost  perfect  Grecian  features  of  these  Neapolitan 
ladies,  would  surely  captivate  any  gentleman  who  admired 
the  fair  sex.  They  are  scarcely  ever  seen  in  the  company  of 
young  gentlemen,  as  that  is  not  allowable,  unless  one  of  iheir 
parents  is  present.  Consequently,  time  spent  in  courting  is 
very  limited,  and  lovers  labor  under  difficulties  unknown  In 
America.  The  Americans  possibly  have  too  much  court- 
ship ;  yet,  on  the  other  hand,  the  Italians  perhaps  have  too 
little,  and  their  customs  in  this  respect  may  account  for  the 
fact  that  so  many  of  the  women  of  Naples  follow  the 
most  degraded  lives. 

Nor  do  the  great  majority  of  the  virtuous  ladies  of  ibe 
higher  class  of  Naples  society  live  very  happily.  The  chief 
recreation  of  those  who  can  afford  it  is  carriage  driving ; 
those  who  cannot  ride,  stay  at  home,  as  it  is  thought 
degrading  for  a  lady  of  any  pretensions  to  walk,  while 
many  think  it  would  never  do  to  be  seen  at  work.  How 
can  such  ladies,  without  anything  to  do,  without  the  enjoy- 
ment of  gentlemen's  society,  and  sitting  all  day  pining 
away  in  their  dark  parlors,  be  other  than  idle,  useless, 
unhappy  women — the  fairest  of  their  sex  while  in  the 
bloom  of  youth,  but  anything  but  beautiful  Avhen  they 
grow  old  ? 


CHAPTER  XLI. 
HERCULANEUM  AND  VESUVIUS. 

THE  following  morning  we  resolved  to  visit  Hercnlanenm, 
and  conducted  by  a  guide  in  due  time  approached  that 

celebrated  ruin. 

"We  descended  slowly,  lower  and  lower  still,  the  flickering 
lights  only  revealing  the  fringes  of  the  dark  chasm  below. 
The  layers  of  soil  could  be  distinctly  traced  between  the 
numerous  strata  of  lava ;  for  after  each  eruption  the  earth 
accumulated  over  the  red  deposit,  to  be  itself  in  turn  covered 
by  a  fresh  inundation  of  the  fiery  stream  when  the  next 
outbreak  of  the  mountain  took  place. 

We  had  already  descended  about  a  hundred  feet  into  the 
bowels  of  the  earth,  and  had  begun  to  wonder  whither  onr 
grimy  guide  was  taking  us;, so  we  asked  him  whether  the 
road  really  led  to  Herculaneum,  or  whether  it  terminated  in 
the  bottomless  pit  or  the  ever-raging  fires  of  Vesuvius.  He 
grinned  and  motioned  for  us  still  to  proceed,  and  as  he  was 
the  presiding  deity  ofthe  place,  there  was  nothing  left  for  us 
but  to  obey. 

We  followed  him  in  silence,  and  before  long  were  walking 
upon  the  pavement  of  a  city  which  for  eighteen  centuries 
had  been  hidden  from  the  light  of  day.  Our  foolish  thoughts 
and  idle  words  were  hushed  as  we  realized  the  lesson  taught 
by  the  scene  around  us.  Here  were  the  deep  ruts  worn  by 
ancient  Roman  carriages  long  before  the  coming  of  Christ. 
Here  were  houses  and  shops  at  which  St,  Paul  might  have 
gazed,    or   into  which   St.  Peter  or  St.  James  might   have 

379 


380 


THE  BURIED  CITY. 


entered.  Here  were  old  houses  shattered  by  an  earthquake 
eight  years  before  the  final  catastrophe  which  overwhelmed 
the  city.  Tiie  hands  which  propped  them  up  were  still 
Btrong  and  muscular  when  the  fiery  torrent  descended  and 
the  burning  ashes  fell,  and  every  living  soul  perished. 
Wandering  there,  we  seemed  to  live  in  that  far-off  time,  and 
vividly  as  we  might  have  pictured  the  habitations,  men,  and 
manners  of  by-gone  ages,  we  realized  now,  as  we  trod  the 
streets  of  the  buried  city,  far  more  perfectly  the  every  day 
life  of  the  people  of  Italy  two  thousand  years  ago. 


HERCULANKUM THE  THSATRE. 

Our  guide  conducted  us  to  the  theatre,  and  as  we  followed 
him  we  could  hear  the  rumbling  of  the  carriage  wheels  in  the 
street  far  above  our  heads,  sounding  like  distant  thunder; 
for  over  the  buried  cities  of  antiquity,  modern  abodes  had 
been  reared,  the  inhabitants  of  which,  until  the  last  few 
years,  were  all  unconscious  that  beneath  thorn  lay  such  won- 
drous relics  of  the  past.     In  fact,  although  Ilerculaneum  and 


BOUND  FOR  VESUVIUS.  381 

Pompeii  were  both  historically  known,  and  the  story  of  their 
destruction  familiar,  it  was  only  recently  that  their  exact  sites 
were  discovered. 

Tlie  theatre  particularly  attracted  us.  It  very  much 
resembled  that  mentioned  in  the  last  chapter,  tiie  seats  rising 
in  tiers  from  the  ground,  reaching  the  summit  of  the  outer 
wall  at  the  top  grade.  We  stood  there  on  the  floor  or  ])lat- 
form  where  the  actors  must  have  performed  their  part  in  that 
very  "olden  time;"  and  as  we  gazed  on  the  vast  ste])s  rising 
one  above  the  other,  we  thought  how  different  must  the 
scene  have  been  when  eight  thi>usand  persons  were  seated 
there,  and  eight  thousand  pairs  of  eyes  were  riveted  on  the 
spectacle  below. 

When  we  returned  to  the  upper  world  the  sun  was 
descending  toward  the  west,  and  we  bespoke  lively  horses 
for  our  journey  np  Vesuvius;  but  in  our  hurr}'  an  uncouth 
guide  was  forced  upon  us.  At  the  start  he  took  the  lead,  but 
we  soon  overtook  and  passed  him.  Our  horses  were  liery 
animals,  and  we  gave  them  the  rein.  Glancing  backward, 
we  saw  our  guide  far  in  the  rear,  spurring,  and  whipping  his 
lazy  beast;  but  on  we  flew  without  paying  any  attention  to 
his  clamors  for  us  to  go  slower.  Our  road  wound  up  the 
side  of  the  mountain  along  a  graded  road.  At  times  it  was 
almost  level,  and  then  again  very  steep,  twisting  here  and 
there  in  order  to  avoid  great  chunks  and  masses  of  lava. 
Kow  we  passed  through  a  broken  field  or  stream  of  this 
volcanic  matter,  the  light  color  of  which  bespoke  its  age. 
Again  we  came  upon  some  that  was  fresher,  and  of  a  darker 
color;  or  upon  a  new  stream  almost  black-looking,  as  if  it 
had  cooled  but  yesterday,  appearing  in  outward  form — but 
without  the  motion— as  it  did  when  first  it  swept  down  the 
mountain-side.  Kot  infrequently  we  saw  a  fresh  stream 
coursing  tlirougli  an  orchard,  cooking  the  fruits  and  burning 
everything  with  which  it  came  in  contact. 

When  we  were  about  two-thirds  up  we  stopped  to  look 
back  and  rest  our  horses.  We  could  see  where  the  lava 
coursed  its  way  down  the  mountain-side  until  lost  in  the 


382 


REMINISCENCES  OF  THE  VOLCANO. 


luxuriant  valley  miles  away ;  and  we  wondered  how  many  a 
village  and  skeleton  might  speak  from  under  those  deposits 
had  they  but  living  tongues.  We  recalled  to  mind  the 
eruption  of  1779,  during  which  hot  stones,  one  of  them 
measuring  over  one  hundred  feet  in  circumference,  were 
hurled  two  thousand  feet  in  the  air ;  while  sulphurous  smoke 
in  dense  rolling  clouds  rose  to  the  height  of  twelve  thousand 
feet  above  the  crater,  and  vivid  streams  of  fire  shot  upwards 


"our    horses    WKRE    FIKUY,    AND    \VK    UAVt    nihil    illi.    l;t.l.N." 

to  the  sky.  "We  remembered  also  the  eruption  of  1861,  when 
a  great  orifice  opened,  about  one-fourth  of  the  way  up  the 
mount,  and  otliers  gaped  at  different  points,  from  all  of 
wliich  red-hot  streams  of  lava  poured,  and  forked  streams  of 
electric  fire  shot  out  their  livid  tongues.  From  a  combina- 
tion of  several  of  these  was  formed  a  stream  of  lava  Imlf  a 
mile  broad  and  twenty-five  feet  deep,  threatening  in  its 
course  the  utter  destruction  of  Torre  del  Greco,  a  city  of 
twenty-two  thousand   inhabitants.     All   this   we   called   to 


ABUSED  BY  THE  GUIDE. 


383 


mind;  but  had  onr  visit  been  a  little  later  we  miglit  have 
had  more  to  think  of,  for  three  or  four  months  after  our 
visit  several  villages  were  partly  destroyed,  many  of  the 
inhabitants  fled,  and  some  even  lost  their  lives. 

As  before  stated,  we  had  left  our  guide  a  long  way  oflf,  but 
he  soon  rode  up,  cursing  and  swearing.  Caleb  didn't  believe 
in  fighting;  neither  did  I.  So  we  put  spurs  to  our  horees, 
and  again  ran  away  from  the  fellow,  at  which  slight  he 
seemed  to  grow  more  angry  than  ever,  and  indulged  in  many 


"OCR   ASSAILANTS    SOON    LOST    TIIKIR    LEGS." 

impolite  expressions  respecting  us.  At  last  we  approached 
the  foot  of  the  steep  cone,  about  four  thousand  feet  above 
the  level  of  tlie  bay,  and  as  we  did  so,  out  from  a  piratical- 
looking  house  issued  five  or  six  roguish-lookino:  fellows 
armed  with  long  sticks.  They  immediately  grabbed  our 
horses'  tails,  and  pretended  to  urge  them  forward  with  tlieir 
poles,  while  really  they  did  their  best  to  hold  them  back. 
Not  caring  for  their  assistance  or  company  we  spurred  on 


384:  CLIMBING  THE  CONE. 

our  steeds,  who  seemed  to  feel  the  insult  as  much  as  we  did, 
and  sprang  forward  at  such  a  rate  that  our  assailants  lost 
their  legs,  and  were  soon  left  in  a  demoralized  condition  far 
in  the  rear. 

At  the  foot  of  the  cone  we  singled  out  a  boy  to  hold  our 
horses  and  hired  four  robust  men  to  assist  us  in  our  ascent. 
Our  conductor  had  not  yet  arrived,  but  the  rascals  behind  us, 
having  picked  themselves  up,  were  approaching  as  fast  as 
they  could.  We  did  not  wait  for  anybody,  but  with  a  moun- 
taineer attached  to  each  arm,  moved  on  at  once,  while  a  boy, 
unbidden,  followed  behind,  carrying  Mine,  and  eggs  to  roast 
on  the  lava. 

We  ascended  diagonally  over  gnarly  chunks  of  all  shnpes 
and  sizes,  our  attendants  pulling  and  pushing,  and  staying 
us  as  best  thev  could,  sometimes  being:  of  service  but  more 
frequently  in  the  way,  until  we  found  ourselves  at  a  stream 
of  red-hot  lava,  ten  or  twelve  feet  across,  and  three  or  four 
feet  high.  It  was  slowly  winding  down  the  side  of  the 
mountain,  but  was  so  small  in  volume  that  it  was  lost  among 
the  obstructions  long  before  reaching  the  valley. 

It  is  strange  how  long  the  lava  holds  its  heat.  Among  the 
crevices  it  has  been  known  to  retain  a  considerable  amount 
of  warmth  for  eight  years.  As  we  stepped  close  to  this 
stream  it  burned  our  faces,  scorched  our  hands  and  clothes, 
and  forced  us  to  retreat.  Our  attendants  dipped  the  ends  of 
their  green  canes  into  it,  when  they  blazed  up  and  were 
quickly  consumed.  Presently,  they  drew  out  a  couple  of 
lumps,  and  pressed  into  them  two  Italian  coins  which  we  had 
handed  to  them.  In  an  instant  the  coins  were  red-hot. 
Then  our  egg  boy  rubbed  some  spittle  on  liis  eggs,  searched 
out  an  old  streamlet  of  lava  that  looked  as  if  it  was  about 
cold,  put  liis  eggs  upon  it,  and  in  a  moment  handed  them  to 
us  very  nicely  cooked. 

We  now  pressed  on  for  the  crater,  past  other  streams  of  lava. 
By  the  time  we  reached  the  summit  it  was  growing  dai'k,  and 
the  fiery  abyss  was  revealed  to  us  in  a  frightful  manner,  glar- 
ing, blubbering  and  swelling  like  the  bottomless  jjit  of  perdi- 


AT  THE  CRATER. 


385 


tion.  The  angry  surges  almost  splashed  upon  us,  and  we 
retreated  appalled  and  scampered  down  the  side  of  the  cone, 
slipping,  and  stumbling,  and  occasionally  barking  a  limb  and 
slidin"-  on  our  backs,  till  at  last  we  reached  our  horses.  Here 
we  found  our  guide  who  appeared  to  have  recovered  his 
temper  and  to  be  contented  and  happy ;  but  the  five  other 
fellows  looked  angry,  grinned  sarcastically,  and  even  menac- 
ingly. We  grasped  tightly  our  green  wooden  canes — not 
that  we  had  any  apprehensions,  but  to  try  our  nerves.     One 


I    LET    MV    HORSE    OUT    A    LITTLE. 


of  them  vented  his  wrath  by  slapping  the  boy  who  had  held 
our  horses,  but  we  made  it  up  to  the  boy  by  giving  him  an 
extra  franc. 

In  going  down  the  mountains,  at  a  place  where  the  descent 
was  gradual  1  let  my  horse  out  a  little,  and  when  going  quite 
fast  he  came  suddenly  to  a  steep  pitch  where  he  stumbled 
badly  and  turned  a  complete  somersault.  Luckily  for  me  I 
was  thrown  from  the  saddle  at  the  outset,  and  regained  my 
feet  and  horse  without  suffering  serious  damage. 

As  we  continued  on  down  the  mountain  we  were  delighted 
with  the  sight  of  the  many  hundred  lights  of  the  city,  curving 


386  AGAIN  SWINDLED. 

round  the  bay  like  necklaces  studded  with  sparkling  diamonds, 
and  with  the  view  out  upon  the  smooth  waters  gemmed  with 
many  a  green  island  reaching  out  one  beyond  another,  even 
to  the  sea ;  for  they  formed  a  beautiful  picture  such  as  one 
seldom  sees  even  in  the  course  of  a  lifetime.  At  the  bottom 
of  the  mountain  we  found  the  cabman  and  guide  who  had 
conducted  us  to  Herculaneum,  awaiting  to  take  us  back  to 
Naples.  On  the  way,  we  told  the  last  named  individual  of 
our  experiences  with  the  mountain  guide.  He  was  consider- 
ably amused  thereby,and  laughingly  replied  : — 

"  Iliz  horse  not  zo  lazy — hiz  swerin'  an'  cuzin'  all  putz  on. 
Youknowz  hez  paid  by  ze  company  ;he  no  want  to  ascend  ze 
cone." 

This  revelation  caused  a  re^^llsion  of  our  feelings.  We  had 
felt  quite  jolly  at  being  able  to  leave  the  fellow  in  the  rear, 
and  had  supposed  that  he  felt  very  badly  at  being  deprived 
of  our  company.  But  it  turned  out  that  we  had  been  victim- 
ized after  all,  and  he  had  doubtless  chuckled  over  his  ruse  for 
the  balance  of  the  day.  Had  I  known  his  game  sooner,  I 
would  never  returned  till  he  had  gone  up  to  the  cruter  or 
starved  on  the  side  of  the  cone. 

Then  we  told  our  companion  of  our  experiences  with  the 
assailants  whom  we  had  left  in  a  demoralized  state.  The 
serious  look  which  he  put  on  and  his  reply  made  us  feel  better, 
for  it  proved  that  one  genuine  victory  was  inscribed  on  our 
banners.     He  said : — 

"  Zey  runs  for  zemselves — zey  dangerous  fellows." 

When  we  reached  our  hotel,  we  could  see  from  the  window 
a  stream  of  lava  appearing  to  cover  the  very  spot  where  we 
had  stood  such  a  short  time  before. 


CHAPTER  XLII. 
THE  BURIED  CITY  OF  POMPEII. 

HARK  ! — men  stand  aghast !  face  is  turned  to  face,  pale  as 
deatli !  That  shock,  that  rumbling  as  the  mutterings  of 
distant  thunder  — what  can  it  mean  ?  Louder  and  louder  it 
grows,  peal  on  peal,  the  ground  trembles  and  rolls  beneath  the 
feet  like  the  troubled  ocean.  Angry  clouds  of  smoke  from 
yonder  mountain  rise!  They  spread,  they  roll  their  black 
garments  over  the  face  of  heaven  !  Through  them  the  livid 
lightnings  leap  up  to  lick  the  sky.  The  hot  elements  come 
showering  down.  Terror  seizes  men !  The  wretches  flee 
through  the  glowing  cinders.  Not  all.  Some  are  upon  beds 
of  sickness  unable  to  flee.  Darker  grows  the  day,  and  more 
portentous  the  volcanic  storm.  They  choke,  they  struggle 
and  wail,  while  they  are  being  shrouded  with  smoke  and 
coflined  by  the  hot  cinders  pressing  closer  and  closer  about 
their  quivering  flesh.  The  prisoners  tug  and  wrench  at  their 
chains  as  the  torrent  comes  on,  but  it  is  stronger  than  they. 
Some,  terror-stricken,  are  overtaken  in  their  flight  while  still 
in  the  city ;  others  who  escape  beyond  the  wall  are  suffocated 
wnth  the  smoke,  or  struck  and  covered  with  the  falling  rock 
and  cinders.  Some  thinkino;  the  day  of  iuds^ment  has  come 
fall  upon  their  knees,  groaning  and  wailing  their  prayers 
toward  the  throne  of  heaven.  Some  curse  the  day  on  which 
they  were  born,  and  fling  out  their  o.iths  defiantly.  Children 
cry  for  parents,  parents  for  children,  husbands  for  wives, 
friends  for  friends,  but  all  in  vain. 

For  eight  days  this  volcanic  storm  continues.     By-and-by 

387 


388 


A  WAYSIDE  INN. 


the  heavens  began  to  clear,  the  snn  takes  off  his  mourning 
veil,  but  weeps  as  he  k)oks  down  upon  the  wide-spread  deso- 
lation without  a  landmark  to  tell  where  once  were  verdant 
villages  and  proud  cities.  The  number  of  persons  buried,  no 
one  knows,  but  it  must  have  been  very  great,  as  the  effects  of 
the  eruption  extended  as  far  as  Stabile,  some  five  or  six  miles 
beyond  Pompeii,  burying  all  those  regions  in  one  universal 
tomb  of  oblivion,  until  little  more  than  a  century  ago,  when 
by  chance  an  unlettered  peasant  while  sinking  a  well  discover- 
ed a  house  far  below  the  surface  of  the  ground. 


THK    GREAT    CATASTROPHE. 


It  was  along  the  excavated  road  leading  from  buried  Iler- 
culaneum  that  we  approached  the  renowned  Pompeii.  We 
halted  at  an  inn  where  the  flying  inhabitants,  laden  with 
their  valuables,  had  taken  refuge  from  the  increasing  fall  of 
cinders.  Here  they  lodged  with  their  riches  during  the  long 
and  dreary  night  of  centuries.  Near  by  we  entered  a  branch- 
road  from  the  Appian  Way,  and  here  were  summer  resorts  of 


DIOMEDE'S  MANSION. 


389 


renowned  persons  from  the  imperial  city — Eome.  We  wan- 
dered about  Cicero's  villa  where  he  used  to  entertain  Augus- 
tus. But  the  most  interesting  dwelling  was  Diomedes.' 
Down  a  descending  corridor  we  lollowed  the  footsteps  of 
eighteen  young  men,  two  children  and  a  wonum,  who  never 
returned.  A^ivinst  the  Avail  of  the  cellar  was  the  form  of  the 
mother,  with  her  two  children  by  her  side.  There  she  stood 
until  her  darlings  had  been  buried  by  the  hot  ashes  which 
the  wind  and  the  floods  of  rain  alternately  carried  in,  and  then 
she  dropped  her  head  and  died.  In  the  museum  at  Naples 
we  saw  the  rinir  on  the  skeleton  fine^er  of  the  mother  It  was 
inscribed  with  the  name  "Julia  A.  Diomedes."  Hound  the 
walls  of  this  long  circular  cellar  yet  stood  the  large  wine  vases 
from  whicii  the  servants  used  to  draw. 


-'-^-il-':^:/©^ 


EXCAVATED    STREET    OK   TOMBS. 


Approaching  the  city  gate,  the  road  was  lined  with  the 
monumental  tombs  of  those  who  slept  in  peace  during  the 
awful  terror  that  startled  the  living.  Upon  one  tomb  was  a 
vessel  lowering  her  sails,  emblematical  of  the  close  of  life. 
Here  in  tiie  sacred  decline  of  a  summer's  evening,  friends  had 
softly  trodden,  had  dropped  the  silent  tear,  and  had  with 
flowers  strewn  the  resting-places  of  those  they  loved.  Pugil- 
istic, hard-hearted  relatives  occasionally  wandered  out  to  the 


390  NOBODY  AT  HOME. 

tomb  of  one  Scarus,  proudly  looking  at  the  raving  beasts  and 
gladiators  carved  upon  the  monument  of  him  who  had  won 
the  prize. 

On  the  city  gate  was  an  advertisement  of  a  gladiatorial  com- 
bat that  was  to  take  place  in  the  amphitheatre.  Twenty  years 
previous  to  the  eruption,  the  beastly  Nero  became  disgust- 
ed at  a  sanguinary  fray  in  this  same  amphitheatre,  and  closed 
it  for  ten  years,  during  which  an  earthquake  almost  shook  the 
structure  down.  It  opened  for  ten  years  more,  and  then  the 
vengeance  of  Jehovah  closed  it  forever ! 

We  parsed  the  gate  through  one  of  the  side  entrances, 
treading  the  pavement  worn  by  sandaled  feet,  silent  now. 
Two  long  steps  took  us  over  a  street-crossing.  In  the  centre 
lay  a  huge  stone,  astride  of  which  ran  the  \vheel-marks  deeply 
guttered.  Ladies  and  gentlemen  promenading  the  streets  leap- 
ed upon  tliis  stone  to  effect  a  crossing.  We  imagined  ourselves 
following  them  to  tlieir  homes.  The  facades  were  adorned 
with  paintings  and  inscriptions  suitable  to  their  owner's  rank 
in  society.  Presuming  to  enter,  the  inscription  "Salva, " 
welcome,  greeted  us;  so  we  stepped  from  the  vestibule  into 
the  principal  chamber  or  drawing-room,  round  which  were 
arranged  the  servants'  apartments.  But  as  no  one  stepped  out 
to  receive  us,  we  passed  on  to  the  open  court  surrounded  by 
a  portico  supported  by  columns,  where  once  were  sparkling 
fountains  and  fragrant  flowers.  Wandering  through  the 
various  apartments  we  glided  over  fish,  birds,  animals,  and 
fanciful  figures  painted  with  life-like  fidelity  upon  the  floor; 
while  still  finer  mosaics  and  fresco  paintings  covered  the  stuc- 
coed walls.  AYe  knew  the  taste  of  the  occupants.  In  the 
rooms  of  the  uncultivated  were  pictured  highly-plumed  cocks; 
in  the  home  of  a  patriotic  Athenian  was  the  superb  representa- 
tion of  a  battle  between  the  Greeks  and  Persians ;  in  the  studio 
of  a  young  amateur  were  female  forms  receiving  in  their 
aprons  bouquets  of  flowers ;  in  the  bacchanalian's  house  were 
carved  figures  in  wild  revelry ;  and  in  the  home  of  the 
poet  were  scenes  from  Homer. 


INSIDE  THE  HOUSES.  391 

In  each  house  entered  we  seemed  to  catch  glimpses  of  its 
former  inmates.  Here  were  the  deserted  chairs  and  tables, 
uneaten  loav^es,  dates,  chestnuts  and  grapes.  Hound  the  festal 
board  the  father,  mother,  and  dear  ones  had  met  for  the  last 
time,  and  for  the  last  time  the  innocent  babe  had  been  dandled 
upon  the  mother's  knee.  About  tbe  room  and  now  open  to 
our  view,  were  objects  familiar  to  every  member  of  the  house- 
hold, just  as  they  left  them  forever.  AVe  glanced  at  their 
tutelary  gods,  and  then  followed  their  footsteps  to  the  temples, 
which  were  about  as  numerous  as  the  churches  in  a  modern 
city  of  twenty  thousand  inhabitants.  We  fancied  we  saw 
them  bowing  before  those  beautiful  bronze  and  marble  statues, 
as  do  the  inhabitants  of  the  neighboring  cities  of  to-day.  They 
worshiped  and  gave  their  means  in  sincerity  and  truth,  and 
then  they  went  on  their  way  rejoicing.  The  columns  were 
the  models  of  those  in  our  most  beautiful  modern  temples. 
Our  guide,  with  a  sacrilegious  cane,  broke  oif  the  marble 
flowers  and  leaves  from  the  corinthian  capitals  which  the 
chisel  of  some  noble  artist  had  carved,  and  generations  of  Pora- 
peiians  admired. 

Down  a  street  sufiiciently  broad  for  the  easy  passage  of 
carriages,  we  came  into  the  vast  Forum,  surrounded  by  rows  of 
once  beautiful  but  now  broken  columns,  where  beneath  the 
soft  sky  those  who  enjoyed  the  right  of  franchise  exercised 
their  respective  influences  on  occasions  of  public  gatherings. 
Back  of  the  judge's  seat  we  descended  into  a  dungeon,  where 
durinor  eighteen  centuries  two  forms  lav  chained. 

In  the  unexcavated  half  of  the  city  we  saw  the  grimy  dig- 
gers bringing  to  light  bronze  lamps,  scales,  and  various  do- 
mestic utensils.  On  a  table  tliey  had  laid  a  petrified  bod}', 
just  exhumed.  Our  guide  said  it  was  supposed  that  this  was 
the  body  of  a  man  who  had  returned  durinsj  a  lull  in  the 
storm  to  pillage  houses,  and  instanced  another  man  who  was 
found  in  the  attitude  of  a  burglar  grasping  the  key  and 
treasures.  Surely  if  the  culprit  loved  darkness  he  found 
suflicient  there. 

In  another  place  we  entered  the  room  of  a  sick  man.  It 
24 


392 


THE  DESERTED  STRANGER. 


seems  that  he  must  have  been  a  stranger  just  arrived  from  a 
distant  city,  for  all  had  deserted  him.  Darkness  came  on, 
but  he  had  heard  no  footsteps  upon  the  floor.  Tlie  fallen 
ashes  shut  out  every  raj  of  light,  yet  in  his  feverish  visions  he 
looked  for  day  and  called  for  friends,  but  none  answered. 


A.    WARNING    TO    BURGLARS. 


After  the  storm  had  passed,  his  wife  doubtless  came  and 
looked  over  the  sea  of  ashes,  but  her  husband  was  entombed 
on  his  dying  couch. 

We  visited  the  public  bath,  with  its  pipes,  double  walls, 
and  great  vats  for  steaming  (almost  scalding)  the  bather, 
before  plunging  liim  into  the  great  marble  basin  of  cold 
water  to  temper  him  and  quicken  his  blood.  AVe  saw  the 
various  fragrant  ointments,  combs,  brushes,  and  mirrors,  and 
thought  how  like  a  child  in  a  bed  of  perfume  the  bather  must 
have  lain  down  and  sweetly  slept  after  the  exhaustion  of  the 
bath. 

We  visited  the  Comic  Theatre,  then  the  Tragic,  whose  high 
walls  were  never  sufficiently  buried  by  the  eruption  to  preserve 
them  from  crumbling  on  top.  In  fact  the  summits  of  the  city 
towers  were  all  exposed,  and  now  projected  from  the  plain  of 
barren  ashes,  enabling  us  to  trace  the  three  mile  circuit  of  the 
wall.  These  ramparts,  in  old  and  warlike  times,  kept  the 
prowling  enemy  from  the  gates. 


THE  BRAVE  ROMAN  SOLDIERS. 


393 


We  glanced  down  into  the  labyrinth  of  streets  winding 
among  low  buildings,  into 
•which  the  same  sun  shone 
as  when  up  and  down  them 
hurried  the  clerk  going  to 
his  office,  or  the  father  re- 
turnina:  from  business  to 
his  pratling  ones,  or  the 
laughing  girls  tripping 
along  from  shop  to  sho[). 
Around  us  was  every  evi- 
dence that  for  ages  these 
happy  Ecenes  had  trans- 
pired. When,  a  minute 
later,  we  ascended  to  the 
dress-circle,  the  thick  steps 
of  lava  were  worn  almost 
away  by  many  generations 
of  hurrying  feet  as  eager 
for  amusement  as  the  rest- 
less throng  of  to-day. 

Beneath  us  Avas  the  orchestra,  silent  for  the>e  eighteen 
weary  centuries.  The  soft  music  that  enervates  the  soul  had 
not  yet  unnerved  the  arm  of  the  dauntless  Roman  soldier. 
Between  the  theatre  and  the  gate  leading  toward  StabifB 
were  the  soldiers'  barracks,  where  the  rigid  discipline  which 
had  led  the  Roman  warriors  to  meet  death  aiid  conquer  the 
world  now  held  them  firm  to  their  post,  while  frightened 
wretches  were  fleeing  from  the  volcanic  storm. 

While  we  were  wandering  and  musing  amid  such  scenes 
as  these,  we  were  suddenly'  started  from  our  reverie  by  the 
shrill  whistle  of  a  locomotive.  At  first  thought  it  seemed 
almost  sacrilege  that  such  a  noisy  intruder  should  invade 
a  place  where  silence  and  the  repose  of  sleeping  inhabitants 
was  so  long  unbroken  ;  but  its  presence  drove  away  serious 
reflections  and  reminded  us  that  it  was  time  that  passengers 
for  Kaples  were  "  all  aboard." 


THE  TRAGIC   THEATRE. 


CHAPTEE  XLIII. 
FEOM  NAPLES  TO  POME. 

WHEN  we  settled  with  our  Neapolitan  host,  before 
taking  the  cars  for  Pome,  we  were  greatly  surprised 
to  find  that  Caleb's  bill  was  exactly  seven  times  as  large  as 
Wildair's  was.  How  it  happened  to  be  so  we  never  found 
out. 

On  our  arriving  at  the  depot  a  boy  grabbed  our  valises, 
and  ran  off  with  them  to  an  othcial  who  weighed  them  and 
then  made  a  demand  upon  us.  Wildair  pretended  that  he 
did  not  understand  what  he  wanted,  though  anybody  could 
have  interpreted  the  man's  gestures  when  he  tiually  drew 
out  his  purse  and  displayed  a  five  franc  piece.  But  Wildair 
was  bound  not  to  understand,  so  he  reached  forth  his  hand 
as  if  to  receive  the  money  M-hich  the  man  held.  At  this  a 
young  lady  with  light  complexion  and  hair,  spoke  to  her 
brother  in  English  and  asked  him  to  offer  his  services  as 
interpreter.  The  result  was  that  we  paid  over  the  amount 
demanded,  but  did  not  begrudge  the  money,  for  it  was  well 
worth  five  francs  to  again  see  a  golden-haired,  blue-eyed, 
English-speaking  girl.  We  had  almost  forgotten  there  were 
any  such  pretty  creatures  in  the  world. 

Our  tickets  admitted  us  to  the  first  and  second-class  wait- 
ing-room, graced  with  carpets,  cushioned  scats,  mirrors, 
and  frescoed  walls,  A  back  door  was  finally  unlocked 
through  which  we  passed  from  this  palace-prison  to  the  cars. 
Before  starting,  the  conductor  ran  along  the  platform, 
requiring  every  person  to  display  his  ticket  or  vacate  his  seat. 

394 


A  COUNTRY  STATION. 


395 


They  don't  believe  in  tempting  any  one  to  ride  to  the  first 
station  free. 

At  one  of  the  country  stations  Wildair  and  I  alighted  to 
stretch  onr  linibs.  We  were  not  particular  whether  we 
stood  on  the  track  or  olf ;  but  we  were  soon  frightened  out 
of  our  wits  by  a  man  running  toward  us,  hallooing  and 
motioning  as  though  he  were  driving  sheep.     By  his  voice 


i:*^v^ 


^i:?^ 


A    SCDPEN    STOP. 


we  took  liim  for  a  beggar,  but  by  his  gestures  an  automatic 
painter  who  fancied  the  sky  his  canvas;  we  changed  our 
mind,  however,  when  he  gave  us  a  shove  off  the  track. 

At  this  station  an  old  Italian  lady  got  aboard  the  car,  who 
we  judged  from  her  actions  was  having  her  first  experience 
at  traveling  by  rail.  I  was  reminded  of  another  lady  trav- 
eler nearer  home  whom  I  had  heard  about.  She  had  never 
seen  a  railroad,  and  having  made  up  her  mind  to  take  a 
*'  tour,"  she  was  driven  several  miles  to  a  country  station, 


39G 


AN  OLD  STORY  RETOLD. 


and  took  lier  seat  on  the  platform.  The  train  came  in  and 
departed,  but  she  remained  seated;  and  wlien  the  station- 
master  asked  her  why  she  did  not  get  on  the  cars  if  she 
wanted  to  go,  she  replied: — 

"  Git  on  ? — why,  I  thought  the  whole  eonsarn  went." 
Acting  on  the  advice  of  the  station-master  uhe  got  safely 
on  board  the  next  train,  and  took  a  seat  beside  a  benevolent 
old  gentleman.  She  was  very  much  alarmed  when  the  train 
started,  but  gradually  became  serene,  and  interested  in  what 
she  saw  along  the  road.     The  old  gentleman  answered  her 


ARCHES    OF    ANCIENT    ROMS. 


questions  civilly.  When  he  tried  to  explain  the  use  of  the 
telegraph  wires,  her  reply  was : — 

"  Wa'al,  wa'al,  you  don't  catch  me  ridin'  on  'em,  for  this 
is  as  fast  as  I  want  to  go,  anyhow." 

At  length  she  had  seen  and  heard  about  so  many  wonder- 
ful things  that  nothing  could  astonish  her;  and  when,  owing 
to  a  misplaced  switch,  their  train  ran  into  another  one, 
thereby  jolting  all  the  passengers  from  their  seats,  she 
quietly  remarked : — 

"  They  fetch  up  rather  sudden,  don't  they?" 

At  her  journey's  end  she  was  surrounded  by  a  crowd  of 
hackmeu,  all   clamoring  for  her  patronage.     Grasping  her 


FIRST  VIEW  OF  ROME. 


397 


umbrella  in  one  hand  and  her  band-box  in  the  other,  she 
gazed  into  the  face  of  the  loudest  driver,  with  the  compas- 
sionate enquiry : — 

"  Are  you  in  pain?" 

Along  the  road  we  saw  Italian  peasants  plougliing  their 
impoverished  grounds  with  sleepy,  faded  cattle  of  a  dwarfed 
breed,  yoked  singly  to  a  forked  stick  which  they  forced 
into  the  ground  with  one  foot,  while  they  hobbled  beside  the 
handle  on  the  other.  The  ploughmen's  wives  or  daughters, 
armed  with  goads,  acted  as  drivers  and  occasionally  woke 
up  the  oxen. 


HACICMEN    ABROAD. 


Toward  evening,  just  as  the  tints  of  an  Italian  sunset  were 
painted  on  the  sky,  the  dreamy  arches  of  ancient  Rome 
burst  suddenly  upon  our  view  like  a  vision.  For  miles  these 
arches  stretched  away,  bridging  the  sky  like  closely-set  piers 
spanning  a  river,  though  some  of  them  had  crumbled.  Over 
those  arches  once  flowed  a  stream  of  living  water  to  the 
thirsty  myriads  who  thronged  the  city  in  the  days  of  her 
glory. 

Finally,  rolling  through  a  real  wall,  the  brakes  brought  the 
cars  to  a  halt,  and  we  awoke  from  our  reverie.  Passing 
through  the  depot,  we  glanced  at  the  long  row  of  vehicles, 


398 


ASTOUNDED  FOREIGNERS. 


and  approached  one  with  "Hotel  deAmeriqne"  in  gilded 
letters  over  the  door.  The  genteel  attendant  tipped  his  silk 
hat  and  bowed,  as  we  asked  if  English  was  spoken  at  this 
hotel ;  and  as  he  responded  an  English  affirmative,  we  stepped 
into  the  carnage.  Meantime  not  another  person  had  offered 
his  services  to  us  or  left  his  own  carriage.  It  was  a  pleasing 
contrast  to  the  way  our  hackmen  at  home  treat  foreigners 
as  well  as  other  people.  I  once  saw  a  party  of  Italians 
astounded  at  the  liberties  taken  with  them  by  hotel  runners 
on  their  arrival  at  New  York.     They  did  not  understand  our 


i 


HACKMEN    XT    HOME. 


language  any  too  well,  and  were  speechless  under  the  clamors 
of  their  assailants  who  seemed,  as  they  looked  at  it,  to  be 
trying  to  pull  them  to  pieces  and  steal  their  baggage.  "  Can 
this,"  they  thought,  "  be  the  land  of  liberty  of  which  we 
have  heard  so  much  ! " 

On  the  morning  of  our  first  day  in  Rome  we  chartered  a 
carriage  and  told  the  driver,  in  not  very  intelligent  Italian, 
to  take  us  round  where  anything  was  to  be  seen.  He  did 
not  seem  to  understand  us  exactly,  and  gazed  back  at  us; 
but  we  motioned  to  him  to  go  ahead,  and  he  did  so.  Wo 
rolled  up  streets  and  down  streets, — along  fine  streets  and 
streets  which  w'ere  not  so  very  fine ;  past  open  paved  squares 


SIGHT-SEEING  IN  ROME. 


399 


■with  playing  fountains,  where  Bnorting  horses  with  fish-like 
tails  were  rising  from  the  water,  and  the  sea  chariots  were 
driven  by  niytiiological  beings,  half  men  and  half  fish. 
Then  we  passed  squares  in  which  stood  Egyptian  obelisks, 
broken  columns,  churches,  museums,  and  various  other  inter- 
esting objects  too  numerous  to  mention. 

Our  driver  halted  at   times  to  enable  us  to  alif^ht  and 


A    DRIVE    THROUGH    RO.ME. 


inspect  things  more  closely  than  we  could  in  the  carnage, 
and  we  finally  gathered  courage  to  enter  the  vestibule  of  one 
of  the  beautiful  churches  we  came  to.  Just  as  we  got  there 
some  priests  passed  near  us,  and  we  expected  tiiat  they  would 
attempt  to  kidnap  us  or  order  us  out;  but  as  they  did  neither 
and  looked  benevolently  at  us,  we  grew  bolder  and  went 
inside  where  priests  were  ministering  at  the  altar.  After- 
wards we  visited  other  churches,  and  gazed  on  the  beautiful 
paintings  and  statues  everywhere  displayed  within  them. 


400 


A  LESSOX  IN  POLITENESS. 


Then  we  fonnd  ourselves  venturirig  into  buildings  that 
were  not  churches.  We  went  up  long  flights  of  marble  steps, 
along  winding  corridors,  and  into  rooms,  which,  from  the 
statues,  paintings,  and  other  beautiful  objects,  we  took  to  be 
galleries  of  art.  At  last,  wearied  out  with  our  long  morning 
ramble,  we  returned  to  our  hotel,  paid  our  driver,  and  received 
from  him  another  lesson  in  Italian  politeness. 


w 


CHAPTER    XLIY. 

AMID  THE  PvUINS  OF  ROME. 

E  now  began  to  realize  that  at  last  we  were  amid  the 
ruins  of  the  "  Eternal  City  "  in  which  lived  that  s^alaxy 
of  o-reat  men  who  shine  in  history  as  the  stars  in  heaven,  in- 
tiuencino-  even  now  the  destiny  of  those  modern  nations  which 
were  formed  from  the  w^reck  of  Rome. 

From  the  pavement  of  the  present  city  we  descended  by  a 
ladder  of  nineteen  steps  to  the  Forum,  M'here  the  voices  of 
Roman  orators  had  so  often  resounded.  The  pavement  was 
crossed  by  a  foot-path  partially  worn  by  Caesar,  Cicero, 
Pompey,  Antony,  and  a  host  of  others  whose  daring  deeda 
have  been  the  admiration  of  succeeding  ages. 

It  was  here  that  Brutus  ran  from  the  Senate  door  holding 
above  his  head  the  bloody  dagger,  and  crying,  "Liberty! 
liberty!  Ctesar  is  dead  and  Rome  is  free  !"  Through  those 
triumphal  arches,  I  fancied  1  could  see  the  citizens  rushing, 
and  the  au<rust  members  of  the  Senate  runnino:  out  into  the 
street,  wliile  the  so-called  "Liberator"  gloried  in  having 
given — as  he  weakly  imagined — freedom  to  his  country  by 
means  of  an  atrocious  crime. 

Here,  when  quiet  prevailed,  Antony  ascended  the  rostrum  to 
praise  the  deeds  of  Brutus,  and  to  defame  Caesar.  But  when 
the  orator  enujnerated  the  fallen  hero's  generous  acts  and 
opened  his  will,  which  unexpectedly  devoted  his  noble  gardens 
to  the  use  of  the  public,  and  bequeathed  a  sum  of  money  to 
each  citizen,  and  then  lifted  to  their  view  the  familiar  robe 
of  the  murdered  conqueror,  stained  with  blood  and  rent  with 

401 


402 


SCENES  OF  DEPARTED  GLORY. 


stabs:  then  it  was  that  his  achievements  fortheglorjofHome 
rushed  upon  the  memories  of  the  audience,  and  tliose  who 
had  torn  the  diadem  from  the  brow  of  the  warrior's  statue, 
with  a  curse  to  tiie  hand  that  had  placed  it  there  at  night, 
now  wept ;  and  those  who  had  remained  silent  until  the  con- 
queror had  twice  rejected 
:§  the  imperial  insignia,  and 
then  joined  with  the  throng 
to  cheer,  now  breathed  ven- 
^^J^^  geance  upon  the  fleeing  con- 
spirators who  had  murdered 
him. 

We  saw  the  excavated 
fragments  of  statues  and 
ccilunms  that  once  stood  in 
beauty  before  temples  and 
public  buildings  facing  the 
Forum.  During  the  last 
three  centuries  the  antique 
has  become  almost  as 
sacred  as  once  it  was  pro- 
fane, and  now  the  temples 
not  entirely  wrecked  are 
carefully  patched  over  and 
converted  into  Christian 
churches,  and  then  become  doubly  sacred.  Even  the  prison 
behind  the  tiibune  of  the  Forum,  where  St.  Paul  was  cruelly 
fettered,  and  confined,  is  now  the  crypt  of  a  church,  from  whose 
altar  daily  ascends  the  prayers  and  chants  of  priests. 

Our  guide  conducted  us  to  what  he  calle  !  *  Trajan's  Foinim  ;" 
it  looked  a  good  deal  like  a  cellar.  There  were  in  it  four  rows 
of  upright  marble  columns  broken  off  at  various  heights ;  and 
in  their  midst  one  mighty  towering  column,  around  which, 
like  a  vine  clinging  to  a  tree,  wound  the  sculptured  represen- 
tation of  the  long  procession  of  Trajan.  Long  and  fierce  was 
the  struggle  there  depicted,  for  we  saw  the  soldiers  not  only 
in  combat,  but  also  wintering  in  stone  barracks.      When  the 


THE   ROMAN   FORUM. 


ROME'S  LAST  CONQUEST. 


403 


spiral  procession  had  wound  its  way  toward  the  top  of  the 
column,  tliose  who  had  not  been  slain  by  the  northern  barba- 
rians were  seen  returninij  homeward  with  their  trophies.  But 
mothers  came  not  out  to  welcome  them,  and  many  a  lovely 
damsel  had  either  pined  away  or  found  another  lover  during 
the  fifteen  years  of  their  absence. 


TIIK    F.iOOtSSlU.N    Of    TUAJAiN. 


This  was  Rome's  last  conquest  in  Europe.  But  by-and-by 
the  warlike  hordes  then  conquered  came  down  from  the 
north  and  ascended  that  column  also — but  by  tlie  internal 
spiral  stairway.  They  removed  the  statue  of  Trajan  for 
coinage ;  and  the  pope,  three  centuries  ago  placed  a  bronze 
statue  of  St.  Peter  in  its  place. 

Tired  and  weary  we  sat  down  to  rest  on  the  summit  of  the 
Coliseum,  which  was  transfigured  into  a  free  quarry  by  the 
Roman  people  during  the  dark  ages.  In  fancy,  eighteen 
centuries  rolled  back  the  current  of  human  events,  and  I 
seemed  to  see  the  long  train  of  Titus  returning  across  the 
campagna  from  the  siege  of  Jerusalem.  Over  the  way  he 
erected  a  grand  arch,  upon  which  he  caused  to  be  carved  the 


404 


THE  COLISEUM. 


golden  candlestick  with  its  seven  branches,  the  ark  of  the 
covenant,  and  the  table  of  sliew-bread,  forever  removed  from 
the  temple  of  the  Lord.  Immediately  afterward  the  earth 
began  to  quake,  the  air  turned  black,  and  from  the  mouth  of 
Vesuvius  belched  forth  cinders  and  rolling  fire  which  buried 
a  number  of  Roman  cities. 

Ere  the  veil  of  heaven  had  been  drawn  aside,  the  topmost 
stones  of  the  Coliseum  had  been  tugged  to  their  places,  and 
the  building  was  now  to  be  dedicated.  At  an  early  hour 
the  seats  of  the  amphitheatre  were  filled.  On  the  circling 
platform  surrounding  the  arena  was  enthroned  the  emperor, 
with  the  senators,  priests,  and  the  vestal  virgins.  From 
receding  seats  above  them,  looked  down  the  rich  patricians; 
still  higher  the  soldiers ;  and  upon  these  vast  upper  rows, 
about  one-third  of  a  mile  in  circumference,  sat  the  plebians. 

But  hush! — the.murmuring  of  the  vast  crowd  ceases,  and 
a  deathlike  silence  prevails.  In  the  arena  stands  a  graceful 
female  form  ;  she  is  a  Christian,  but  as  helpless  as  innocent. 
Then  from  a  passage  in  the  wall  a  ferocious  beast  appears, 
and  all  eit  in  breathless  suspense  at  sight  of  the  shuddering 
and  shrinking  girl  crouching  before  them  without  one  hope 
of  escape.  A  thrill  runs  through  the  audience  as  the  tiger 
springs  upon  her  and  bears  her  to  the  ground. 

Then,  one  after  another,  other  victims  are  brought  up  from 
the  prisons  below  to  suffer  the  same  fate ;  and  when  a  man 
is  chased  by  a  wild  boar  across  the  arena,  and  at  last  falls 
a  victim  to  the  beast's  deadly  tusks,  the  noise  of  the  clap- 
ping of  hands  arises  like  the  wings  of  a  myriad  birds. 

Now  two  champions  appear  alone  in  the  arena,  eager  for 
death  or  glory,  and  those  who  have  no  previous  prejudice 
ghrink  or  shout  according  as  the  one  they  favor  is  favored 
also  by  fortune.  Of  Uiose  who  liave  nothing  at  stake  most 
seem  to  sympathize  with  the  smaller  warrior,  perhaps 
because  helms  alread}'  received  a  couple  of  wounds;  and 
when  with  a  skillful  sweep  of  his  sword  he  cleaves  off  his 
opponent's  head,  one  hundred  thousand  infuriated  people 
arise,  and  wave  their  hands  and  cheer. 


I 


THE  ARCH  OF  TITUS.  405 

Over  such  ecenes  as  these,  spectators  gloated,  till  one 
hundred  dreadful  days  expired,  during  which  many  thous- 
and men  and  between  five  and  ten  thousand  beasts,  perished 
for  the  amusement  of  the  Homan  populace. 

Here,  along  the  miles  of  winding  corridors  leading  to 
these  horrible  scenes,  then  stood  graceful  statues,  the  defaced 
fragments  of  which  are  now  collected  and  valued  at  their 
weight  in  gold.  Men  learned  in  art  and  history  almost 
worship  the  Coliseum,  in  whose  structure  are  harmonized  the 
various  kinds  of  architecture,  from  the  massive  doric  sup- 
ports of  the  arched  windows  at  the  base,  to  the  airy  Corin- 
thian column  beneath  the  lofty  entablature  at  the  summit. 
In  the  crumbling  arches  of  its  corridors  are  now  fourteen 
Christian  churches,  and  in  the  centre  of  the  arena  stands 
the  cross. 

From  the  Coliseum  we  went  to  the  baths  of  Titus,  where 
he  employed  his  slaves  to  fill  up  the  wonderful  Golden  Palace 
of  Nero  with  rubbish.  This  palace  was  so  vast  that  Titus 
never  hoped  to  equal  it,  so  he  thought  to  bury  it.  But  the 
structure  lie  reared  above  it  crumbled  away  into  a  protecting 
cover. 

From  the  fallen  arch  of  Titus  we  descended  by  a  ladder 
into  the  excavated  rooms  of  Nero,  in  which  were  found  manv 
of  the  statues  and  works  of  art  which  this  tyrant,  who  burned 
the  city  for  his  pleasure  and  lit  tarred  Christians  for  street 
lamps,  used  to  enjoy.  Our  guide  carried  a  bamboo  pole 
about  thirty  feet  long,  fastened  to  the  end  of  which  was  a 
lamp,  which  revealed  the  frescoed  figures  on  the  plastering  as 
bright  as  if  painted  but  yesterday. 

From  these  lofty  ceilings,  high  arched  doors,  and  long  halls 
we  returned  to  our  carriage  and  drove  down  into  the  lower 
part  of  the  city,  past  ruins,  and  along  lanes  separated  from 
vineyards  by  very  high  stone  fences,  built  probably  from  the 
ruins  of  fallen  palaces  once  standing  near  by. 

"VVe  halted  again  before  the  arched  and  towering  ruins  of 
Caracalla's  Baths,  covering  perhaps  forty  acres  of  land,  and 
appearing  like  huge  devastated  mountains.     Excavators  were 


406 


THE  ANCIENT  ETRUSCANS. 


carting  away  the  debris  and  bringing  to  light  fragments  of 
statues  to  crowd  the  Vatican  and  the  museums  of  Rome. 
They  came  upon  the  mosaic  floor  Morked  into  beautiful  and 
brilliant  designs,  with  here  and  there  depressions  for  swim- 
ming-basins. Here,  and  to  other  baths,  the  enervated  wealthy 
Romans  of  the  third  century  came  to  bathe  and  enjoy  them- 
selves after  the  excitement  and  crimes  of  the  Coliseum, 
while  the  poor  groaned  beneath  the  tyranny  of  the  rich. 

AYe  visited,  a  day's  drive  from  Rome,  the  tombs  where  the 
ashes  of  the  aboriginal  Etruscans  were  deposited  in  urns  or 
vases  covered  with  yjictures.  We  descended  into  a  lately 
opened  vault,  on  the  walls  of  which  were  delineated  a  breed 
of  horses  having  green  tails,  blue  manes,  yellow  bodies  and 
pipe  stem  legs  without  joints.  In  another,  evidently  made 
at  a  later  period  when  art  had  almost  reached  Grecian  per- 


UUSIC    AND    DANCING. 


fection,  flesh-colored  figures  with  gracefully  flowing  robes 
were  performing  a  lively  dance  to  the  music  of  the  lyre  and 
flute,  which  they  themselves  were  playing  as  an  expression 
of  joy  over  the  departure  of  a  deceased  friend  to  abetter 
clime.  Some  of  the  ancient  characters  resembling  Greek 
letters  were  interpreted  to  us  by  our  guide  as  follows : — 
"  While  we  departed  to  nought  our  essence  ascends."  "  We 
ascend  to  our  ancestors."  "  Raise  the  soul  as  fire."  Upon 
the  walls  of  others  were  winired  anirels  with  beautiful  faces. 
But  perhaps  the  scene  that  interested  us  most  was  one  rep- 
resenting the  death  of  a  father.     The  daughter  was   drawing 


RUINS    OF   THE   CAEACALLA  BATHcj,    KOME. 


A  DAUGHTER'S  LOVE. 


409 


the  hood  over  his  eyes,  wliich  had  just  closed  in  death;  a 
dutiful  son  was  covering  his  feet  with  one  hand,  while  the 
otlier  M'as  raised  to  hide  his  grief.  At  the  head  stood  .mother 
youth  in  subdued  sorrow,  pressing  his  aching  head  and  breast ; 
while  a  ])rofessioiial  mourner,  having  rent  his  garment,  was 
smiting  his  breast  and  brow,  accompanied  with  lamentations 
of  woe  suitable  to  the  family  grief.     Although  that  daughter's 


A    SCENE    or    WOE. 


tender  care  ceased  thousands  of  years  ago  yet  her  love 
was  immortal,  and  it  awoke  in  us  feelings  of  sympathy  and 
sorrow  for  her  grief  as  if  there  were  no  separating  chasm 
of  time  between  us. 

This  home  of  the  departed  father  'had  been  fitted  up  by 
surviving  friends  in  such  a  manner  that  his  spirit  might  smile 
upon  their  kindness  and  meet  them  there.  About  the  room 
were  arranged  his  arms,  memorial  wine  vases,  sacrificial  uten- 
sils, a  couch,  mirrors,  candelabrum,  jewelry,  and  other  fa- 
miliar objects.  Here  the  living  came  to  muse  of  the  dead, 
expecting  that  as  they  did  so  his  presence  might  be  revealed 
to  them. 

Like  the  Egyptians,  these  ancients  died  to  be  remembered. 
But  the  dust  of  a  hundred  generations  of  plodding  peasants 
enriched  the  soul  above  tlieir  peaceful  resting-places,  and  it 
is  but  recently  that  they  have  been  disturbed. 

25 


CHAPTER  XLY. 
THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  ETERNAL  CITT. 

CLEMENT'S  name,  says  St.  Paul,  is  written  in  the  "  Book 
of  Life."  It  seems  that  lie  distinguished  himself  as  a 
preacher  in  Rome,  and  the  oldest  church  of  this  venerable 
city  bears  his  name.     Of  course  we  visited  it. 

We  descended  beneath  the  foundation,  into  a  subterranean 
chapel,  the  walls  of  which  once  echoed  the  words  of  Jesus 
almost  fresh  from  His  lips;  it  still  contains  many  early 
Christian  pictures.  Tradition  says  that  St.  Clement's  church 
was  built  on  the  site  of  his  house,  and  that  when  the  foun- 
dations were  excavated  to  a  certain  depth  the  workmen  were 
astonished  to  find  themselves  in  a  church  below  the  surface; 
while  a  passage  connected  with  the  church  led  to  a  dwelling 
of  the  Augustan  Age — perhaps  the  parsonage  of  brother 
Clement. 

The  prison  in  which  St.  Paul  was  confined  is  near  the  Fomm, 
and  was  pointed  out  to  us.  Then  we  drove  toward  the  Three 
Taverns,  along  the  anciently-paved  Appian  Way,  still  lined 
with  the  crumbling  monumfcnts  of  Rome's  renowned  dead. 
One,  containing  a  great  stone  coflin,  was  like  the  Coliseum  in 
shape,  and,  like  it,  served  as  a  fort  during  the  dark  ages. 

Four  francs  of  depreciated  Italian  currency  opened  for  us 
a  gate  in  the  high  stone  wall  on  our  riglit,  and  we  stood  in  a 
large  vineyard  hanging  with  clusters  of  grapes  as  plentiful 
as  in  the  Promised  Land.  With  torch  in  hand  we  then 
descended  to  the  city  whose  inhabitants  ever  rest — unless  up 
and  down  those   narrow  streets  their   spirits   wander.     We 

410 


THE  UNDERGROUND  CITY. 


411 


glanced  at  the  rows  of  narrow  niclies,  one  above  another,  in 
the  rocky  walls  on  cither  side.  On  the  tablets  scaling  them 
were  recorded,  in  Latin  or  Greek,  how  "Adonis  would  ever 
weep  for  his  own  loved  Helen  ;"  or  the  name  and  age  of  a 
"Rosebud,  plucked  from  a  mother's  bosom  and  a  father's 
heart."  We  found  that  many  of  these  vaults  had  been  ruth- 
lessly unsealed,  and  the  tablets  removed  to  Euroj)ean  muse- 
ums; the  bones  strewn  about  looked  ghastly  enough  in  the 
flickering  light. 

Beneath  these  almost  endless  corridors  we  descended  to 
streets  intersecting  each  other ;  and  below  these  to  an  under- 
lying labyrinth,  where  we  shuddered  as  we  went  along  lest 


"WK    SHUDUKRKl)    AS    WE    WtM    ALONCi. 


we  should  loose  sight  of  the  grim  keeper  in  whose  hands  was 
our  return  from  the  walks  of  death  to  the  light  of  day. 

Here  we  came  upon  chapels  wliere  tiie  early  Christians 
songlit  a  quiet  retreat  from  their  relentless  persecutors ;  a 
sanctuary  hidden  from  the  sight  of  thQ  world  in  which  they 


412  RETKEATS  OF  THE  EARLY  CURISTIAXS. 

mi'Tht  worship  their  once  suffering  but  now  glorified  Saviour. 
Here  they  committed  to  the  tombs  the  remains  of  their  loved 
ones,  that  they  might  rest  until  the  glory  of  the  awakening 
morn  should  raise  them  from  the  slumber  of  death,  even  as 
their  Lord  himself  was  raised.  Upon  their  tombs  were 
expressed  the  sentiments  of  hope  and  faith. 

These  retreats,  as  well  as  the  other  catacombs,  and  the 
perforated  hills  of  Rome  which  served  as  vast  quarries  out  of 
which  her  structures  were  reared,  became  after  her  fall,  a 
Bubterranean  city  and  the  abode  of  robbers,  against  whom  an 
army  was  finally  sent  to  clear  them  out  and  block  the  passages 
with  stone.  Recent  researches  have  removed  these  obstruc- 
tions. Here,  in  these  complicated  retreats  of  the  Christians, 
were  found  the  bronze  lamps  which  they  used  in  their 
chapels,  and  on  the  walls  were  pictures  of  Christ  the  Good 
Shepherd,  and  other  representations  which,  though  simple, 
evinced  the  fervent  holiness  and  spirituality  of  those  who 
delineated  them. 

We  went  to  St.  Peter's, — the  grandest  and  richest  place  on 
earth  in  which  mortals  pay  homage  to  heaven.  In  it  are 
deposited  tlie  ashes  of  St.  Peter  and  St.  Paul,  and  on  its 
cloud-piercing  dome  is  the  cross  for  which  tliey  died.  The 
steps,  on  wiiich  thousands  of  people  can  stand,  lead  to  the 
portico  whose  columns  rear  their  lieads  aloft  one  liundred 
feet.  Above  these  steps  stood  the  Pope  of  Rome  just  after 
he  had  been  pronounced  infallible,  and  there  lie  raised  his 
hands  in  blessing  over  the  heads  of  myriads  standing  in 
awe  beneath. 

This  vast  cathedral,  six  hundred  feet  long,  though  without 
seats,  did  not  seem  empty.  Art,  beauty,  grandeur,  filled  the 
place.  The  deeply-sunken  cofiiers,  one  hundred  and  fifty 
feet  above  our  heads,  seemed  intended  to  hide  their  treasures 
of  glittering  wealth.  The  columns  dividing  the  aisles  and 
the  principal  nave  were  ench  as  large  as  the  solitary  obelisks 
of  Egypt,  or  Pompey's  Pillar,  but  their  capitals  bloomed 
into  leaves  and  flowers  that  softened  their  vastness  into 
beauty.     The  principle   dome,  supported  upon  four  orna- 


ST.  PETER'S.  413 

mcntcd  pillars,  each  sixtj-nine  feet  in  diameter,  wfis  the  size 
and  shape  of  the  Pantheon  at  Rome  which  Pliny  reckoned 
among:  the  wonders  of  the  world.  The  "  Transtiii^uratii'n  of 
Christ,"  the  "Creation  of  the  AVorld,"  the  "Last  Judg- 
ment," and  the  renowned  paintings  of  the  great  masters, 
were  copied  in  immortal  mosaics  npon  the  walls.  Fifteen 
years  were  required  to  thus  execute  a  single  picture;  fifteen 
thousand  shades  of  colored  glass  were  "used,  and  lif  teen  thous- 
and pieces  of  the  same  were  set  up  in  the  space  covered  by  one's 
hand.  The  surface  was  then  polished,  and  the  unfading 
figures  of  angels,  sibyls,  and  prophets,  looked  down  upon  us 
"  like  beings  to  whom  God  had  spoken,  and  who  have  never 
since  ceased  to  meditate  on  the  awful  voice."  The  anirels 
with  snowy  wings  seemed  to  be  descending  from  sublime 
heights,  with  trumpets  to  their  mouths,  while  up  the  ainles 
rolled  the  thunder  tones  of  the  organ  dying  away  in  plaintive 
echoes. 

Amid  these  towering  columns,  and  beneath  these  lofty 
sublime  arches,  a  thousand  voices  sound  like  a  single  harmony, 
melodious  and  grandly  sweet.  Here  the  people  M'alk  and 
worship.  They  lean  against  the  column  which  it  is  said  the 
dear  Saviour  rested  against  when  M-eary ;  they  cross  them- 
selves before  tlie  cross;  they  kiss  the  toe  of  St.  Peter's 
statue  in  humility,  and  their  children  do  the  same.  They 
bow  at  the  tomb  of  a  saint,  and  ask  him  to  beseech  the  Queen 
of  Heaven  to  influence  her  son  Jesus  to  implore  his  Omnipo- 
tent Father  to  forgive  their  sins.  They  kneel  before  the 
pope  or  archbishop  as  he  enters,  with  the  bishops  supporting 
his  glittering  robes.  Priests  reverently  bear  the  trail  of  the 
bishops,  and  monks  and  little  boys  gracefully  sustain  chc 
long  appendages  of  the  priests.  The  ]>ope,  when  we  were 
there,  had  shut  himself  up  as  prisoner  within  the  Vatican, 
bewailing  the  breached  gates  and  the  capitulation  of  Home  — 
the  last  relic  of  his  once  world-wide  empire.  So  an  arch- 
bishop officiated  in  his  place  at  one  of  the  side  chnpels, 
instead  of  being  seated  upon  the  identical  chair  of  St.  Peter, 
which  is  for  the  use  of  the  pope  alone. 


414: 


ST.  PETER'S. 


The  officiating  bishop  repeated  in  a  high  tone  one  verse ; 
the  multitude  of  monks  and  priests  responded  another  in  a 
Bweet  spiritual  voice ;  and  the  choir  answered  by  chanting  a 


^T' 


"TQET  kiss  tub  toe  of  ST.  PETER  3  STATUE. 

third,  accompanied  by  the  organ.  When  the  singers  bowed 
their  heads  or  crossed  themselves,  tiie  bystanders  did  the 
same,  for  they  knew  something  sacred  was  being  repeated, 
thoush  in  an  unknown  tonjjue.  As  the  leader  at  the  altar 
read,  the  other  bishops  supported  his  arms  and  his  long 
jeweled  robe  in  a  becoming  manner.  They  waited  upon  liim 
iis  if  he  had  come  from  heaven,  because  he  bore  the  vessels 
of  the  Lord.  They  brought  him  a  vessel,  into  which  he 
dipped  a  fan -like  leaf  and  sprinkled  the  two  attending  bish- 
ops ;  these  then  sprinkled  the  priests  who  supported  their 
robes;  and  these,  again,  repeated  the  operation  upon  the 
various  grades  of  priests  and  monks. 

The  leader  waved  before  the  altar,  in  complicated  curves, 
the  censer,  from  whose  every  crevice  the  smoking  incense 


TUE  MONKS. 


415 


issued.  Then  the  consecrated  smoke  from  the  silver  censer 
like  the  fluid  from  the  leaf,  was  shaken  upon  the  heads  of 
the  bishops,  and  by  them  and  their  attendants  passed  on 
until  it  reached  the  remotest  monks.  Again,  a  consecrated 
touch  was  started  from  the  leader  to  his  immediate  attend- 
ants, and  by  them  to  those  next  in  rank,  and  so  on  from 
order  to  order  till  the  farthest  row  of  short  gowns  was 
reached.  Then  they  formed  in  line  according  to  their  rank 
and  varied  uniform,  and  marched  as  the  army  of  the  Lord 
round  the  superb  tomb  of  St.  Peter,  beneath  the  dome, 
armed  M-itli  burning  candles  almost  as  long  as  spears,  emble- 
matical of  their  mission  of  light. 

The  monks  of  Rome  cannot  help  being  religious,  for  when 
they  are  not  sleeping  the}'  are  either  saying  the  best  prayers 
the  pope  can  write,  or  chanting  portions  of  the  Bible,  or 
walking  over  sacred  ground  on  their  knees  and  bare  feet. 
Luther  was  once  a  monk,  and  the  first  thing  he  did  when  he 
came  to  Home  was  to  ascend  the  Scala  Sancta.  Like  Luther, 
when  I  saw  the  people  climbing  those  steps  which,  it  is  said, 


TUE  SACKED  STEPS. 


our  Saviour  bathed  with  his  blood,  I  felt  inclined  to  ascend 
on  my  knees  and  press  my  lips  to  every  stone. 

How  eagerly  weary  pilgrims  climb  those  steps  that  once 
led  to  Pilate's  judgment  seat,  and  kiss  them  over  and  over, 


416  THE  POPE'S  PALACE. 

and  look  down  through  the  cracks  in  the  wooden  frame 
covering  the  marble  just  beneath,  which,  if  uncovered,  their 
very  lips  long  ago  would  have  worn  away.  I  no  longer 
wondered  at  the  power  that  Rome  sways  over  her  people ; 
but  unlike  Luther  I  should  have  continued  to  venerate  these 
stones. 

We  went  to  the  palace  of  the  pope,  the  great  preserver  and 
patron  of  art,  where  live  thousand  rooms  are  stored  with  the 
priceless  relics  ofditferent  ages.  We  climbed  grand  stairways, 
we  strolled  down  long  galleries  whose  mosaic  floors  vied  with 
the  ceilings,  in  pictures  both  modern  and  antique;  we  gazed 
with  astonishment  at  what  the  skill  and  refined  taste  of  man 
could  effect. 

"We  shuddered  as  we  passed  the  Laocoon.  It  is  a  group 
consisting  of  a  father  and  his  two  sons  entangled  in  the  tio-ht- 
eniiig  coils  of  two  great  serpents  that  were  using  their  hooked 
fangs,  producing  excruciating  pain  !  Perhaps  never  marble 
spoke  such  agony  !  And  all  that  the  father  had  done  was  to 
protest  against  bringing  the  Wooden  Horse  within  the  walls 
of  Troy,  proclaiming  that  it  had  not  come  down  from 
heaven  from  Minerva  but  was  placed  there  by  the  enemy  • 
and  so  M'hen  they  persistently  brought  it  through  the  gate  he 
hurled  a  javelin  into  its  immense  side.  And  he  was  correct' 
for  that  very  night  Ulysses  and  a  company  of  Greeks  issued 
from  a  trap-door  in  the  flank  of  the  horse,  stepped  out,  opened 
the  gates,  and  the  Greeks  rushing  in  fired  the  city,  while  the 
inhabitants,  sleepy  from  the  excitement  of  the  previous  day, 
at  last  awoke  in  terror. 

But  this  poor  father  had  gone  to  his  long  home  and  wit- 
nessed not  the  dreadful  scene.  After  having  given  that 
faithful  warning  he  returned  to  his  temple  to  sacrifice  to 
Apollo.  But  offended  Minerva  sent  two  monstrous  serpents, 
which  tarrying  not,  entered  the  sacred  precincts  as  the  priest 
stood  by  the  altar.  It  happened  that  his  two  sons  stood  near, 
and  upon  these  the  vengeance  fell.  The  father  rushed  to 
their  rescue  only  to  entangle  himself.  There  he  stands,  while 
his  sons  look  to  him  in  terror  and  confidence  for  deliverance, 


ANCIENT  MANUSCRIPTS.  417 

and  the  strong  muscles  of  the  father's  arms  seem  ready  to 
remove  the  necks  of  the  Nvrithing  snakes.  I  always  sympa- 
thized with  this  priest  and  thought  that  he  died  a  martyr. 
The  Grecian  artist  who  embodied  this  conception  of  his  brain 
in  marble,  little  thought  that  for  so  many  centuries  it  would 
be  buried  beneath  the  rubbish  of  Rome  to  be  again  laid 
bare  for  the  admiration  of  the  world. 

The  popes  have  always  been  benefactors  to  learning  by 
preserving  tens  of  thousands  of  ancient  manuscripts.  Al- 
though most  of  the  oldest  ones  have  no  dates,  yet  linguists,  by 
carefully  comparing  them  with  others  and  witli  one  another, 
can  determine  the  time  when  they  were  written ;  for  letters, 
punctuation,  spelling,  and  language  have  been  constantly 
undergoing  change.  Besides  this,  one  author  often  quoted 
from  another,  which  enables  us  to  say  which  was  antecedent. 
Few  manuscripts  in  existence  go  back  farther  than  the  third 
century,  for  printing  was  not  then  invented,  and  the  mucli  used 
volumes  soon  wore  out  and  their  places  were  supplied  by 
copies. 


CHAPTER  XLVI. 
FLORENCE  AND  VENICE. 

SEATED  comfortably  in  the  railroad-carriage  we  left 
Rome  beliirid  us.  and  began  the  first  stage  of  our  journey 
towards  Florence.  The  dome  of  St.  Peter's  rose  into  A-iew, 
grander  and  grander,  for  some  time,  and  then  became  more 
and  more  shadowy,  until  it  was  entirely  lost  to  siglit.  Then 
we  began  to  regret  that  we  had  not  made  a  longer  stay  in 
the  Eternal  City. 

We  passed  near  Lake  Bolsena,  with  its  low  wooded  shores. 
Here  stood  the  ancient  Etrn?can  cities,  the  remains  of  which 
are  only  to  be  found  in  a  few  granite  pillars,  not  far  from 
the  deserted  shores. 

It  was  quite  dark  when  we  arrived  in  Florence,  and  we 
lost  no  time  in  seeking  for  a  suitable  hotel,  but  were  some- 
what disajipointed,  for  we  were  directed  to  a  very  rough  sort 
of  place,  where  we  passed  an  uncomfortal)le  night.  As  soon 
as  day  broke,  I  left  Wildair  sleeping  serenely,  and  made  my 
way  out  into  the  streets  to  obtain  a  first  view  of  the  city 
called  ''  The  Beautiful." 

The  city  was  already  astir,  and  some  of  its  streets  were 
thronged  by  early-rising  shop-keepers,  workmen,  and  people 
going  to  and  from  market.  I  followed  their  trail,  and  was 
led  towards  a  beautiful  stone  bridge.  Looking  up  and  down, 
I  saw  other  bridges  supported  on  long  arches  spanning  the 
same  stream,  whose  waters  gleamed  below. 

After  crossing  the  bridge,  I  judged  I  was  in  a  market- 
place, for   the  street   was   well   lined    with   people  selling 

418 


BEAUTIFUL  FLORENCE.  419 

vegetables,  fruits,  and  various  kinds  of  produce.  A  little 
furtlier  on  1  met  other  people  of  both  sexes,  and  of  every 
age,  coming  into  market  with  their  donkeys,  ponies,  and  carts. 

Still  further  on  I  came  to  an  arched  gateway,  in  front  of 
"which  was  a  soldier  standing  on  guard,  Althongh  I  had 
some  suspicions  that  he  might  turn  me  back,  he  took  no 
notice  of  me  and  I  went  on  unmolested.  Then  turning  to 
the  left,  I  passed  along  a  lane  or  path,  with  scattered  build- 
ings on  my  right,  and  a  high,  old  stone  wall  with  a  broad 
green-turfed  ditch  running  beside  it  ou  my  left  hand.  After 
going  a  mile  or  more  down  this  lane,  I  came  to  another 
gateway  guarded  by  a  soldier,  and  again  my  fears  rose;  bat 
he  also  sli<riited  me. 

My  path  now  led  methrougli  a  vast  garden,  and  for  nearly 
a  mile  1  walked  on  admiring  its  beautiful  walks,  statues,  and 
fountains.  Then  I  saw  in  the  distance  a  bridge  which 
looked  familiar,  and  started  for  it.  On  coming  up  to  it  I 
recognized  it  as  tlie  one  I  had  previously  crossed  over. 
Hastening  on,  I  was  soon  by  the  bedside  where  I  had  left 
Wildair  sleeping.  He  was  just  waking  up,  and  had  no  idea 
that  I  had  been  away  from  the  room. 

I  afterward  learned  that  the  great  garden  I  had  explored 
was  called  Boboli  Garden,  and  that  it  was  one  of  the  finest 
in  all  Italy. 

Florence  is  full  of  rich,  costly  churches,  with  a  very 
large  number  of  priests  and  monks  in  attendance.  I  do  not 
know  which  are  the  most  numer(»us, — priests  or  beggars. 
One  could  not  help  noticing  "  The  Duomo,"  for  its  cupola 
is  very  conspicuous.  This  church  was  begun  about  the  time 
of  the  crusades,  and  is  not  yet  linished.  The  square  bell- 
tower,  rising  from  the  pavement  near  the  church  to  the 
heiirht  of  two  hundred  and  seventy-six  feet,  was  to  have 
been  surmounted  by  a  pyramid  ninety-two  feet  additional. 
Like  the  church,  the  tower  is  built  of  parti-colored  marble 
arranged  mosaieally  accoi'ding  to  the  taste  of  the  middle 
ages,  and  it  is  so  beautiful  that  Charles  the  Fifth  used  to  say 
that  it  ought  to  be  kept  under  a  glass  case. 


420  IN  THE  MUSEUM. 

The  strangest  structure  in  Florence  is  the  Palazzo  Vecchio. 
One  is  puzzled  to  know  whether  it  looks  more  like  the  palace 
of  a  king,  or  an  old  fortress.  It  is  beautiful,  though  odd  in 
the  extreme.  From  one  side  of  it  rises  a  beautiful  square 
tower,  to  the  height  of  more  than  three  hundred  feet.  This 
building  has  no  facade  or  portico  to  relieve  its  grandeur;  it 
is  a  type  of  many  similar  palaces  built  during  the  middle 
ages,  when  defence  was  the  only  security,  and  every  city  was 
surrounded  by  a  wall. 

We  found  our  way  into  the  museum.  Here  we  walked 
for  two  or  three  hours,  until  quite  tired,  and  then  we  were 
satisfied  to  see  no  more.  The  hall  we  happened  to  be  in  was 
hung  with  cartoons  and  tapestry  of  the  old  masters,  and 
seemed  to  be  endless.  So  we  looked  out  of  the  window  to  see 
if  we  could  jump  out,  and  M'ere  surprised  to  find  that  vre 
were  above  the  river.  We  might  have  jumped  out  into  the 
•water,  but  thought  best  not  to  do  so.  When  at  length  we 
got  out  of  the  building,  we  found  ourselves  on  the  other  side 
of  the  river  from  what  we  were  when  we  entered  it.  We 
crossed  back  on  a  bridge,  and  found  that  the  long  gallery  we 
had  been  in  ran  along  side  of  it ;  as  if  this  were  not  enough  for 
one  bridge,  jewelry  shops  lined  either  side  of  the  way. 

The  museum  at  Florence  is  considered  superior  to  that  at 
Naples.  It  contains  the  noted  statue  of  Yenus  de  Medici 
whose  form  stands  unveiled  before  you,  so  graceful  in  attitude 
so  beautiful  in  outline,  so  perfect  in  proportion,  tliat  one  can 
hardly  believe  it  to  have  been  the  M'ork  of  man.  On  the  plinth 
or  foot-piece,  is  cut  the  name  and  country  of  the  noted  sculp- 
tor, Cleomenes  the  Athenian,  who  died  B.  C.  150.  Although 
when  found,  during  the  seventeenth  century,  it  was  broken 
into  a  dozen  fraf):ments  amonix  the  ruins  of  Hadrian's  Yilla,  a 
few  miles  out  of  Rome,  it  was  restored  so  nicely  that  one 
would  hardly  notice  the  fractures,  or  xiiscover  that  the  right 
arm  and  a  part  of  the  left  arm  are  modern.  It  was  carried 
to  Paris  by  Napoleon  in  1796,  but  returned  after  his  over- 
throw. 

When  riding  an  hour  in  the  cars  in  Italy  one  often  passes 


THE  CITY  OF  THE  SEA.  421 

tliroiich  ten  times  the  number  of  tunnels  that  he  does  from 
New  York  to  San  Francisco.  In  Italy  they  run  tlirou<jjh  the 
mountains:  in  America  tiiey  wind  about  until  they  find  their 
way  over  them.  But  the  costly  way  is  the  cheapest  in  the 
long  run,  as  it  gives  a  near  route  and  a  level  track. 

But  when  on  our  way  from  Florence  to  Venice  it  was  not 
very  ])leasant  to  ride  through  smoky  tunnels  by  candleli^^ht, 
or  to  pop  into  a  mountain  every  time  one  became  interested 
in  a  beautiful  valley.  Before  evening  however,  we  passed 
over  a  level  exp;inse  where  not  even  a  hill,  however  distant, 
met  the  eye,  and  the  world  seemed  an  Eden  divided  into 
garden  spots  by  fences  of  tall,  straight,  slender  trees.  Some- 
times, when  jroini;  fast,  the  sunliii-lit — afterwards  the  moon- 

/  too?  to 

light — seemed  like  one  glimmering  sheen  of  light  and  green. 

Night  came  on,  and  hour  after  hour  went  b}',  but  no 
Venice  appeared.  Finally,  however,  after  we  had  passed 
over  three  or  four  miles  of  water,  our  train  rolled  into  the 
city  and  stopped  at  the  depot.  "We  alighted  and  walked 
through  the  building,  but  found  no  carriages  waiting  for 
passengers.  In  their  stead  were  long  dusky  gondolas,  in 
one  of  which  we  seated  ourselves,  and  were  soon  gliding 
awny  over  the  water. 

The  streets  were  so  narrow  at  first  that  there  was  just  room 
between  the  lofty  frowning  walls  on  each  side  of  us  for  the 
gondoliers  to  paddle,  which  they  did  in  a  standing  posture, 
with  their  faces  in  the  direction  we  were  going.  Just  before 
turning  a  corner  they  shouted  loudly  to  let  others  know  of 
their  proximity.  Finally  we  came  out  into  the  principal 
street  which  was  of  good  width.  A  mile  along  this  street 
brought  us  to  the  marble  steps  of  our  hotel. 

AVhen  Tiome  was  in  her  splendor,  where  we  now  rested 
this  evening  amid  marble  palaces,  M-as  the  wild  ocean's  home. 
During  the  fifth  century,  the  bal-barians  from  the  far  north 
invaded  and  overrun  all  Italy,  and  buried  the  weak  enervated 
Komans  beneath  the  ruins  of  their  former  grandeur.  Kelu- 
gecs  from  various  ruined  cities  here  found  a  safe  retreat 
among  the  lagoons  and  little  islands  about  the  head  of  the 


422  THE  RISE  AND  DECLINE  OF  VENICE. 

sea.  The  storms  which  shattered  the  mighty  empire  pro- 
duced not  a  ripple  upon  the  peaceful  water  in  which  these 
ishmds  slept. 

Venice  soon  rose  from  the  sea,  like  a  magic  city,  and 
became  not  only  the  mistress  of  the  waters,  but  also  extended 
her  influence  far  back  upon  the  land.  The  distant  islands  of 
the  sea  dwelt  beneath  her  protection;  remote  lands  trembled 
at  her  arms;  her  ships  helped  to  bear  the  armies  of  the 
Crusades;  the  oncoming  hosts  of  Mohammedanism,  threat- 
ening to  flood  Europe  and  destroy  Christianity,  received 
many  a  repulse  at  her  hands  ;  while  far  and  wide  her  influence 
was  felt.  Her  merchants  were  princes,  her  houses  palaces, 
and  here  declining  art  and  refinement  found  a  home  beyond 
the  reach  of  barbarism. 

Here,  in  the  beginning  of  the  seventeenth  century,  was 
issued  the  first  newspaper  that  was  ever  published.  Here 
WHVS  established  the  first  bank  of  deposit  and  discount;  and 
here  appeared  the  first  bill  of  exchange.  Here,  upon  her 
forts,  appear  to  have  been  used  the  first  cannon  which  history 
speaks  of. 

During  a  great  part  of  the  thirteenth  and  fourteenth  cen- 
turies, Venice  was  at  war  with  her  rival  republic  Genoa;  but 
it  was  left  for  Columbus  to  inflict  a  more  lastin<r  blow  on 
the  prosperity  of  his  country's  foe  than  had  been  previously 
given.  The  discovery  of  America  turned  the  attention  of 
the  world  toward  the  vast  wealth  of  the  New  World,  and  by 
exciting  the  spirit  of  adventure,  led  to  the  discovery,  five 
years  later,  of  a  new  route  to  India  round  the  Cape  of  Good 
Hope.  No  wonder  these  changes  shifted  commerce  into  new 
channels.  The  decline  of  Venice  was  hastened  bv  lone:  and 
unsuccessful  wars  with  Turkey.  At  the  close  of  these  wars 
in  the  year  1718,  her  spirit  was  broken  and  her  aristocracy 
reduced  to  poverty.  But  now  under  the  rule  of  Victor 
Emmanuel  her  spirit  is  beginning  to  revive. 

Venice  still  retains  all  the  public  buildinfrs,  cliurches, 
palaces,  and  art  collections  she  had  in  the  day  of  her  greatest 
prosperity,  her  stately  structures  of  stone  and  marble  remain 


CROSSING  THE  GRAND  CANAL.  423 

anchored  in  the  sea,  though  the  vicissitudes  of  fortune  have 
driven  away  her  ships.  Her  raih'oad  lines — one  of  which 
offers  the  shortest  and  quickest  route  across  the  continent 
by  Avay  of  the  Mount  Cenis  Tunnel — seem  likely  to  bring 
back  her  scattered  fleet. 

Wishing  to  see  Venice  for  ourselves,  "we  dispensed  with 
both  guide  and  gondola  and  started  out  afoot  and  alone. 
The  front  door  opened  over  a  canal,  so  we  went  out  by  the  back 
one  into  a  very  narrow  passage  or  street,  nicely  paved  with 
flag-stones.  As  the  door  we  had  just  closed  was  its  terminus, 
there  was  but  one  way  for  us  to  go.  Soon,  however,  similar 
narrow  streets  from  other  doors  joined  ours,  and  Ave  soon 
came  into  a  broader  street,  flfteen  feet  wide  and  crowded  with 
people.  Into  this  thoroughfare  we  turned.  On  either  side 
were  shops  with  open  fronts,  under  which  were  tables  and 
baskets  of  fruits  within  reach  of  our  hands  as  we  passed  along. 
Then  wo  came  to  stores  filled  with  hats,  boots,  and  everything 
else  that  one  could  want  in  the  way  of  clothing.  Beyond 
these  an  arched  foot-bridge  spanned  the  narrow  canal,  run- 
ning between  perpendicular  walls.  This  was  but  one  of 
between  four  and  live  hundred  bridges  which  span  the  twelve 
dozen  and  one  streets  along  which  the  blue  waters  ebb  and  flow. 

By-and-by  we  came  to  where  the  throng  of  people  was  very 
dense.  AVe  did  not  then  know  that  we  were  in  one  of  the 
nooks  of  the  Grand  Canal,  which  winda  through  the  city  like 
a  pot-hook,  crossed  by  only  one  or  two  bridges,  and  we  made 
several  attempts  to  proceed,  but  eac/i  street  that  we  followed 
either  ended  at  some  door  or  before  some  un bridged  canal, 
and  we  were  obliged  to  retrace  our  steps.  Finall}'  we  learned 
the  secret  which  was  simply  to  follow  ihe  street  most  crowd- 
ed. In  this  way  only  can  the  Grand  Canal  be  crossed.  If 
a  stranger  is  unable  to  decide  which  is  the  most  popular 
thoroughfare  he  is  liable  to  be  led  astray,  but  there  is  not 
much  danger  of  getting  beyond  the  limits  of  the  city. 

After  about  three  hours  wandering  through  Yenice — where 
many  of  the  children  have  never  seen  a  foot  of  natural  un- 
paved  ground,  and  the  earth  to  them  is  as  mysterious  as  the 


424  THE  PIAZZA  AND  ST.  MARK'S  CATHEDRAL. 

ocean  was  to  iis  in  our  childhood — we  returned  along  the 
principal  street  past  the  narrow  way  leading  to  our  hotel;  and 
were  soon  in  a  richer  part  of  the  city  where  the  stores  were 
full  of  rich  and  costly  articles. 

On  passing  under  an  arch  we  were  on  the  Piazza,  in  front  of 
a  building  which  we  almost  immediately  recognized  as  the 
renowned  St.  Mark's  Cathedral.  The  buildings  surrounding 
it  appeared  different  from  any  we  had  seen  before,  and  we 
have  seen  nothing  like  them  since. 

Proceeding  along  the  Fiizza  we  came  to  the  bell-tower 
standing  in  front  of  the  Cathedral,  and  mounted  to  its  summit 
by  an  interior  spiral  way  without  stairs.  Napoleon  once  rode 
np  the  same  spiral  way  on  horseback,  but  it  did  not  seem  to  us 
to  be  a  very  remarkable  feat. 

From  the  summit  of  the  tower  we  obtained  a  ffood  view  of 
the  city  and  distant  islands.  There  was  only  one  passage 
between  them  wide  enough  for  ships  to  come  in.  This  gate- 
way was  once  entered  by  the  fleet  of  Genoa,  after  it  had  van- 
quished the  Venetian  fleet;  but  it  did  not  get  out  again  so 
easily,  for  it  was  forced  to  surrender  almost  in  the  streets  of 
Venice. 

"No  track  of  men,  no    footsteps  to  and  fro 
Lead   to  her  gates.     The  path  lies  o'er  the  sea, 
Invisible." 

"While  we  were  on  the  tower,  the  chimes  of  the  larere  bells 
just  above  our  heads  startled  us.  Looking  out  over  the  city 
we  saw  the  pigeons  coming  from  every  direction.  Then  a 
man  came  out  to  feed  these  guardians  of  Venice — for  so 
they  are  regarded — while  they  lighted  around  him  in  the 
piazza.  Remembering  that  injuring  them  was  punished  as 
a  crime,  we  did  not  wonder  that  they  M-ere  very  tame. 

From  the  bell-tower  we  walked  down  the  Piazza  to  where  it 
opened  over  the  sea,  and  had  a  beautiful  view  of  a  distant 
point  of  Venice.  On  one  of  the  two  granite  columns  over- 
looking the  water  stood  a  winged  lion,  the  emblem  of  St. 
Mark,  the  patron  saint  of  Venice.     The  building  on  our  right 


SOUVENIRS  OF  DREADFUL  TIMES.  425 

was  the  Old  Library,  'with  its  beautiful  columns  and  arches ; 
while  overtopping  all  were 

"  The  statues  ranged  along  an  azure  sky." 

On  our  left  was  the  Doge's  Palace,  with  "  galleries  so  light 
that  they  might  have  been  the  work  of  fairy  hands,  so  strong, 
that  centuries  had  battered  them  in  vain." 

After  procuring  a  guide  we  passed  through  to  the  rear  of 
the  Doge's  Palace,  and  stood  high  over  a  watery  street,  in  a 
dark  tunnel,  with  the  beautiful  palace  which  we  had  been 
admiring  on  one  side,  and  the  darkest  of  prisons  on  the  other. 
We  were 

— "  on  the  Bridge  of  Sighs, 
A  prison  and  a  palace  on  each  hand." 

On  our  way  to  the  bridge  we  passed  up  the  Giant  Stairway, 
in  one  wall  of  which  we  were  shown  two  niches  in  which, 
before  the  French  knocked  them  off,  used  to  open  the  two 
dreadful  Lions'  Mouths,  down  whose  throat,  on  dark  nights, 
anonymous  accusations  against  citizens  were  dropped  into  the 
letter  box  of  the  fearfid  "  Three."  In  those  dreadful  days 
when  men  had  lost  confidence  in  men,  no  one  knew  when  he 
was  safe.  AVhile  one  was  innocently  sleeping,  unconscious 
of  danger,  some  one  might  be  planning  his  death,  some  one 
might  be  dropping  his  name  into  the  Lion's  Mouth,  thus  charg- 
ing him  with  being  secretly  a  traitor  and  a  plotter  against 
the  government. 

We  passed  through  tlie  Great  Council  Hall — one  of  the 
finest  rooms  in  Europe.  The  senators  who  assembled  here  num- 
bered several  hundred.  The  history  of  Venice  might  be  read 
on  the  vast  walls,  in  pictures  of  carnage  and  blood.  Every 
victory,  every  great  triumph  of  her  arms  was  depicted  here. 
Kound  the  wall,  in  long  rows,  looked  down  the  venerable  old 
doges  who  had  been  elected  to  their  ofiice  from  the  body  of 
senators.  A  black  blur  covered  the  place  of  one  doge's 
portrait,  and  upon  the  stain  was  written,  "  Beheaded  fur 
Crimes." 

Further  on  was  the  hall  of  the  Council  of  Ten,  who  were 
20 


426  THE  GREAT  COUNCIL  HALL. 

chosen  from  the  larger  body,  for  the  masses  had  lost  all 
voice  in  the  government.  The  senators  were  from  the  class 
of  wealthy  merchants  who  were  called  lords  or  patricians. 

When  the  people  began  to  struggle  for  their  former  liberty 
it  only  caused  more  strenuous  measures  on  the  part  of  the 
government,  and  the  consolidation  of  power  in  the  hands  of 
the  Ten,  But  the  reins  were  not  even  then  tight  enough  and 
the  Ten  chose  the  fearful  Three,  into  whose  council-room 
we  next  went. 

In  the  Great  Council  Hall  was  a  vast  picture  of  paradise  ; 
another  representing  the  Emperor  of  Germany  kissing  the 
ground  beneath  the  feet  of  the  pope;  in  still  another  we  saw 
the  pope  presenting  a  sword  to  the  doge.  But  the  only  paint- 
ing in  the  room  of  the  Three  was  a  vivid  portrayal  of  the 
infernal  regions. 

We  now  thought  that  we  had  seen  enough  of  Venice ;  so 
we  beat  a  hasty  retreat  to  our  hotel,  thankful  that  our  lot  had 
been  cast  in  a  more  enlightened  age. 


CHAPTER  XLVIL 
OVER    THE    ALPS. 

FOR  the  last  few  weeks  the  world  had  seemed  to  us  like  an 
art  gallery  in  which  we  had  strolled  through  endless  halls 
of  paintings  and  statues.  After  leaving  Venice  we  had  gone 
to  Milan,  and  when  we  left  the  latter  city  behind  us,  and  saw 
iier  renowned  cathedral  with  its  thousand  marble  spires 
glittering  in  the  morning  sun  disappear  from  our  sight,  it  was 
with  a  sense  of  relief  that  we  turned  our  eyes  toward  the 
enowy  Alpine  peaks,  to  view  the  wild  scenes  of  Nature's 
chiselino:. 

Before  long  we  found  ourselves  steaming  up  Lake  Como, 
stopping  to  take  in  numerous  passengers  from  the  villages 
on  either  shore.  This  lake  is  twenty  or  twenty-five  miles  iu 
length,  but  seldom  over  a  mile  in  width,  and  frequently  much 
less.  Its  bright  clear  waters  are  peacefully  nestled  between 
vine  clad  mountains,  which  rise  abruptly  to  a  height  of 
between  one  and  two  thousand  feet  and  seem  to  open  and 
close  as  the  traveler  winds  among  them.  Now  a  far-reaching 
view  is  had  over  the  lake  between  them,  and  then  it  is  again 
shut  in  from  the  outside  world.  Cosy  houses,  almost  hid 
among  vines  and  orange  groves,  or  surrounded  with  beautiful 
gardens,  were  scattered  here  and  there  along  the  shore  between 
the  villages.  Higher  up  the  mountain  side  were  castles  and 
mansions  gray  and  dreamy  with  age.  Higher  still  the  white 
faces  of  dwellings  peeped  out  from  the  green  verdure ;  and 
away  up  Mhere  the  eagle  soars  aloft  to  perch  upon  the  high- 
est peaks  or  pinnacles,  we  could  see  objects  which  nppeared 

427 


428  AN  EVENING  ON  LAKE  COMO. 

like  mere  speeds  against  the  blue  sky  ;  but  our  spy -glasses  re- 
vealed that  they  were  the  abodes  of  men.  Clouds  occasionally 
came  sweeping  along  half  way  up  the  side  of  the  mountains, 
at  first  merely  obscuring  the  faces  of  the  houses,  but  soon 
becoming  an  impenetrable  veil,  enveloping  the  base,  but 
leaving  the  summit  to  smile  upon  the  storm  below.  "When 
the  calmer  evening  came  on  we  were  seated  in  an  ivy-hung 
portico,  looking  out  over  the  lake,  while  the  music  of  the 
guitar  came  floating  to  our  ears  from  light  canoes  shooting 
across  the  waters.  No  wonder  we  thought  that  we  were  in 
on'e  of  tlie  most  enchanting  places  under  heaven. 

It  was  at  Colico  at  the  upper  end  of  the  lake  that  we  ex- 
changed our  steamer  for  a  coach.  So  level  and  green  was 
the  valley  that  it  seemed  like  a  continuation  of  the  lake.  . 
This  valley  gradually  became  narrower  as  we  pursued  our 
way  among  the  rugged  mountains,  and  was  dotted  here  and 
there  with  a  garden  or  small  patch  of  grain,  though  mostly 
covered  with  meadow  in  which  roan-colored  cattle  roamed  j 

at  pleasure,  being  tended  by  children  who  almost  invariably  l 

fell  asleep  upon  the  grass.  " 

The  peasants  in  the  mountains  in  the  extreme  north  of 
Italy  appeared  to  have  no  cares,  and  everything  seemed  to  go 
easy  with  them.  The  women  seemed  to  do  most  of  the  out- 
door work,  but  there  wasn't  much  to  be  done.  Here  was  one 
raking  up  hay;  there  was  another  pitching  it  into  tlie 
wagon  drawn  by  oxen ;  there  a  third  was  digging  potatoes 
while  her  husband  and  children  lay  sleeping  in  the  meadow; 
and  further  on,  a  whole  family  were  to  be  seen  squatted  upon 
the  grass  or  stretched  out  in  the  sun. 

At  one  place  we  saw  an  old  gentleman  sleeping  with  his 
head  on  a  pillow  of  hay,  while  a  fat,  tame,  and  apparently 
pet  stag  approached  him,  and  seeing  the  hay,  seized  a  mouth- 
ful thereof,  and  with  it,  by  mistake  probably,  some  of  the 
sleeper's  hair.  Thereupon  the  old  man  awoke  in  a  fright, 
and  started  up  so  suddenly  that  he  made  matters  worse,  for 
the  stag  was  in  turn  frightened  and  leaped  back  without  re- 
membering to  relinquish  his  hold  on  his  master's  locks.     The 


AT  THE  FOOT  OF  THE  ALPS. 


429 


result  was  that  the  man  was  partially  snatched  bald-headed. 
As  he  scrambled  up,  seized  his  cane  and  made  for  the  offender, 
one  of  our  passengers  called  out  to  him  : — 

"Now,  sonny,  you'll  help  your  wife  dig  the  potatoes  won't 
you  ? " 

Toward  evening  we  reached  the  little  village  of  Cheaveuna 
at  the  foot  of  the  Alps.     Here  we  halted,  as  we  were  not  to 


THK    OLD    MAS  S    PET. 


make  the  ascent  until  earlv  next  morning.  "We  Avere  now  on 
the  Swiss  borders,  and  there  was  more  stir  in  the  place  than 
we  had  seen  in  coming  from  Lake  Como.  A  band  was  play- 
ing, men,  women  and  children  were  collected  around,  and 
young  ladies  smiled  from  the  balconies  above. 

Some  of  the  women  and  girls  were  distributing  from  a  stand 
in  the  centre  of  the  crowd,  prizes  to  the  successful  competi- 
tors in  a  shooting  match,  held  the  preceding  day.  We 
watched  the   fair  umpires  as   they  awarded  the  prizes,  and 


430 


AMONG  THE  VINEYARDS. 


fancied  we  could  guess  from  their  countenances  who  were 
their  sweethearts. 

Later  in  the  evening  we  wandered  along  the  side  of  the 
little  stream  that  went  gliding  and  dashing  in  cataracts  and 
falls  through  the  village  ;  and  then  we  climbed  up  the  side  of 
the  mountains,  where  the  nimble-footed  goats  were  springing 
from  rock  to  rock.  Occasionally  we  came  upon  a  little  cosy 
Imt  which  had  been  concealed  behind  large  mossy  rocks ;  and 
further  up  we  found  groves  of  chestnut  trees.  Then,  as  we 
strolled  along,  we  met  singing  girls  returning  home,  their 
hands  stained  with  grape-juice.     We    went  on,    and  soon 


:^^^fe=>.-Tjg^ 


A    WIl.n-LOOKING    MAN    AVITll    A    CDDGEL    IN    HIS    HAND. 

found  ourselves  among  the  vineyards.  Thinking  that  the 
grapes  M'ere  wild,  as  they  were  growing  so  luxuriantly  and 
apparently  uncared  for,  we  concluded  that  there  would  be  no 
particular  harm  if  we  picked  an  occasional  cluster.  But  we 
were  soon  undeceived.  We  suddenly  came  face  to  face  with 
a  wild-looking  man  with  a  stout  cudgel  in  his  hand.     This  in- 


ASCENDING  THE  ALPS.  431 

dividual  showed  signs  of  warlike  intentions,  and  as  we  did  not 
feel  quite  prepared  to  do  battle  with  him,  we  begged  him 
to  accept  a  five-franc  piece,  saying  at  the  same  time  that  we 
should  not  have  trespassed  had  we  not  supposed  that  the 
grapes  were  wild.  Thereupon  he  took  the  money,  and  began 
to  pick  some  of  the  fruit  for  us.  We  had  ah-eady  as  much 
as  we  conld  eat  and  signified  tlie  same  to  him.  He  replied 
with  a  grin  and  a  few  words  in  an  unknown  tongue,  evidently 
as  much  pleased  as  we  were  that  matters  had  taken  such  a 
pleasant  turn. 

It  Avas  dark  when  we  returned  to  our  hotel,  and  shortly 
after  we  retired.  At  three  o'clock  the  next  morning  we 
were  awakened  by  a  rap  at  our  door,  and  heard  a  voice  say- 
ing:— "It  is  now  time  to  ascend  the  Alps."  Those  words 
shot  through  us  like  an  electric  thrill :  in  a  few  moments  we 
were  up,  and  seated  in  the  hindmost  of  the  three  coaches 
that  were  to  convey  our  party. 

The  morning  was  dark,  and  it  was  beginning  to  rain ;  but 
on  we  dragged  up  a  deep  black  gorge,  while  the  coach  lanterns 
showed  us  occasional  glimpses  of  the  rugged  sides  of  the 
chasm,  and  of  a  stream  roaring  and  dashing  far  below  to  our 
left.  In  an  hour  or  so,  we  came  to  wliere  there  M-as  a  large 
fall  of  water  into  this  chasm,  over  the  right  wall  along  which 
we  were  passing.  We  went  no  further  in  that  direction,  till 
we  had  ascended  higher  than  the  falls  by  a  number  of  short 
zigzag  turns,  one  above  another,  on  the  almost  perpendicular 
side  of  the  mountain.  Looking  upwards  during  the  ascent 
we  could  see  the  other  coaches  almost  directly  above  us. 
As  crack,  crack,  went  the  whips,  and  the  horses'  hoofs  sounded 
against  the  rock,  we  shuddered,  lest  in  the  darkness  some  ac- 
cident might  cause  them  to  come  tumbling  down  upon  us. 
When  at  a  considerable  height  above  the  waterfall,  the  road 
continued  on  in  tunnels  through  the  rock,  and  sometimes, 
coming  out  to  the  edge  of  the  chasm,  ran  along  in  defiance  of 
the  precipice,  till  we  came  to  a  bridge  on  which  we  crossed 
over  the  stream. 

As  daylight  came  on  we  had  reached  an  altitude  where 


432  ON  THE  SUMMIT. 

the  storm  changed  from  rain  to  sno-vr.  At  a  distance  we 
espied  through  the  gorge  what  we  took  to  be  a  singular 
looking  cloud,  and  as  we  ascended  higher  it  seemed  to  grow 
larger  and  larger,  and  rise  higher  and  higher  above  the  sur- 
rounding mountains.  We  discovered  before  long  that  it 
was  a  rugged  snow-capped  peak  resting  in  majestic  sublimity 
among  the  clouds.  As  we  continued  to  ascend,  others  rose 
up  increasing  in  size.  The  storm  became  fiercer,  the  snow 
whirled  in  air,  the  heavens  grew  dark,  and  we  were  but  just 
able  to  discern  the  dim  forms  of  stately  mountains  and  peaks, 
to  which  we  were  drawing  near.  We  fancied  we  could  see 
the  avalanches  forming  on  the  sides.  It  was  a  snowy  world 
of  grandeur.  The  horses  shook  their  heads  in  the  storm, 
and  there  was  some  danger  that  the  road  might  become  im- 
passable. But  on  we  dragged  up  the  side  of  the 'mountain 
till  we  approached  the  summit,  and  then  the  storm  began  to 
abate. 

The  upper  strata  of  clouds  were  first  dispelled,  and  we  could 
look  down  upon  those  below.  Through  them  many  a  peak, 
and  occasionally  the  summit  of  a  range,  shot  its  frosty  head 
or  raised  its  icy  back.  The  clouds  continued  to  melt  away, 
and  scatter  into  fragments,  between  which  we  caught  glimpses 
of  the  mountain  sides  below,  and  the  deep  gorges  where  the 
the  cataract  dashed  and  roared.  It  was  a  scene  of  chaos,  a> 
though  the  earth  had  been  rent  into  ten  thousand  fragments, 
and  the  angry  ocean  rolled  between.  Finally,  as  the  clouds 
became  thinner,  and  began  to  roll  down  the  gorges,  allowing 
the  rays  of  the  sun  to  pierce  through,  the  most  beautiful 
colors  appeared,  as  if  the  world  had  been  flooded  with  rain 
bows. 

When  all  was  clear,  and  the  snowy  robes  of  the  mountains 
sparkled  in  the  sunshine,  we  began  to  descend  the  north  side 
of  the  Alps  through  the  Spluger  Pass,  one  of  the  wildest  and 
most  fearful  in  Switzerland,  We  were  now  again  in  darkness  ; 
for  the  perpendicular — sometimes  overhanging — walls  of  rock 
rose  up  to  a  height  of  from  one  to  two  thousand  feet,  almost 
bridging  over  the  desolate  chasm  below.     We  had  made  slow 


THE  DESCENT. 


4?.3 


time  tlms  far,  on  account  of  the  storm,  but  we  now  began  to 
make  up  for  our  loss.  For  four  miles  we  shot  down  the 
chasm,  rocking  fearfully  from  side  to  side  according  to  the 
curve  of  the  walls,  and  passing  over  bridges  several  hundred 
feet  above  the  roaring  falls  and  cataracts  below. 

At  length,  beyond  the  north  end  of  the  gorge,  we  caught 
glimpses  of  beautiful  valleys,  and  green  hills  upon  M-hieli 
the  setting  sun  sinking  in  the  west  was  throwing  his  hast 
lingering  rays.  A  few  miles  further  on  we  put  up  for  the 
night  at  the  village  of  Choir. 

Going  by  rail  to  Zurich,  M-e  were  surprised  to  find  that  the 
cars  were  built  after  the  American  style.  We  saw  none  sim- 
ilar to  them  elsewhere  in  Europe.     We  were  not  obliged  to 


OUR    FUNNY    FELLOW-PASSENGER. 

enter  small  apartments  from  the  sides,  in  which  two  seats 
facins:  each  other  ran  crosswise  the  whole  breadth  of  the 
coach  ;  and  we  were  not  obliged  to  freeze  because  there  was 
no  fire. 

As  we  passed  along,  we  were  amused  to  hear  such  a  clatter 
of  different  languages  all  in  one  country.  In  Switzerland 
there  are  about  1,750,000  Germans;  550,000  French  ;  130,000 
Italians;  and  45,000  who  speak  a  dialect  very  similar  to  the 
old  Roman  or  Latin  lanijuaije.  In  our  coach  the  three  former 
were  about  equally  represented.     It  is  strange  to  me,  why 


434  AN  EXCURSION  INTO  GERMANY. 

these  languages  do  not  become  more  mixed  in  Switzerland 
than  they  do.  Suppose  a  German  marries  an  Italian  lady, 
and  the  children  of  this  couple  marry  into  French  families, 
what  language  would  the  grandchildren  speak? 

At  one  of  the  stopping-places,  the  funniest-looking  man  I 
had  ever  seen  took  a  seat  opposite  to  us  in  the  car.  It  was  a 
great  relief  when  the  train  started,  giving  us  a  chance  to  vent 
our  mirth  by  roaring  at  something  we  fancied  we  saw  out  of 
the  window.  The  passengers,  including  our  funny  neighbor, 
stretched  their  necks  to  see  what  it  was  that  we  were  laugh- 
ing at,  but  were  unable  to  discover  the  cause  of  our  mirth. 

The  country  along  the  road  was  most  beautiful,  with  lovely 
valleys,  hills  and  lakelets.  In  the  villages,  and  frequently  in 
the  country,  we  saw  handsoine  little  gardens,  green  with  grass, 
shaded  with  trees,  and  divided  into  beautiful  figures  by 
curving  paths ;  while  in  the  centre  of  grassy  plots  might 
frequentl}"  be  seen  sparkling  fountains. 

In  the  course  of  a  few  hours  we  reached  Zurich,  beautifully 
located  at  the  head  of  a  lake  of  the  same  name,  and  surround- 
ed by  mountains — the  Alps  being  visible  in  the  distance. 
We  stopped  here  a  day  or  two,  but  as  it  was  only  a  scene  of 
beauty,  we  soon  tired.  There  were  no  ruins  gray  with  time, 
no  magnificent  cathedrals,  no  astounding  architectural  struct- 
ures of  any  kind,  nor  was  it  the  capital  of  a  great  nation. 
So  we  went  on  to  Basle  in  the  north-western  part  of  Switzer- 
land. 

From  Basle  we  made  a  tour  of  observation  into  Germany, 
— that  is  to  say,  we  walked  across  a  bridge  over  the  Rhine 
and  visited  a  small  town  on  the  German  fide  of  the  river. 
We  only  remained  an  hour  or  so,  but  have  the  satisfaction  of 
knowing  that  henceforth,  when  recounting  our  travels,  we  can 
say  truthfully  that  we  have  been  in  Germany. 


CHAPTEK  XLVIII. 
PARIS  AND  LONDON. 

ALTHOUGH  our  passports  were  all  right,  we  felt  but 
little  at  ease  as  we  approached  Paris.  The  liii^li  walls 
surrounding  the  late  imperial  city  appeared  to  us  like  relics 
of  barbarism,  and  seemed  to  saj^,"  Beware  how  you  intrude." 
But  when  we  entered,  and  were  driven  along  the  broad 
street?;,  shaded  avenues,  and  unrivaled  boulevards,  lined 
with  palatial  windows,  all  aglow  with  diamond-set  jewelry 
which  liad  been  left  undisturbed  during  the  siege,  I  then 
realized  that  modern  war  meant  mercy,  when  compared 
with  the  wars  of  earlier  and  less  civilized  times.  I  could 
hardly  persuade  myself,  as  we  wandered  through  the  gaily- 
lighted  streets,  that  this  was  poor  down-trodden  Paris, 
whose  most  affluent  children  had  starved  or  been  fed  on 
scanty  I'ations  of  mnle-meat  during  the  siege. 

The  west  end  of  the  Tuileries,  nearly  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
in  length,  had  been  considerably  damaged  during  the 
troublesome  times,  and  workmen  were  repairing  it  when 
we  were  there.  The  imperial  family  who  so  lately  occupied 
the  palace  were  refugees  in  other  lands  ;  and  we  happened 
in  at  an  auction  sale  of  the  private  property  they  had  left 
behind  them.  An  American  lady  present  bought  a  (pian- 
tity  of  under-clothing  once  belonging  to  the  dethroned 
Empress;  and  when  we  saw  her  examining  critically  a  pair 
of  pantaloons  shuffled  off  by  the  skedaddled  Emperor,  we 
concluded  that  there  was  little  chance  for  speculation  ;  so 
we  left  the  auction,  and  soon  afterward  the  country. 

435 


430 


VERSAILLES. 


But  of  course,  like  all  good  Americans,  we  visited  Ver- 
sailles, a  few  miles  from  the  metropolis.  This  was  once 
only  a  small  village  in  a  forest,  where  Louis  XIII.  had  a 
hunting-seat;  but  his  successor,  Louis  XI Y.,  at  an  enor- 
mous expense,  converted  it  into  a  royal  residence,  large 
enough  and  grand  enough  to  lodge  all  the  kings  and  queens 
of  Europe.  Here  the  voluptuous  monarch  began  his  in- 
timacy with  the  famous,  or  infamous,  Madame  de  Marntenon, 
who,  while  acting  as  governess  to  a  lady  of  the  court, 
charmed  and  captivated  him  by  her  winning  ways. 

As  a  specimen  of  his  devotion  to  the  lady,  it  is  related 
that  when  on  one  occasion  she  expressed '  a  wish  for  a 
sleigh-ride,  he  c;iused  the  avenues  for  a  long  distance  to  be 
covered,  during  the  night,  with  salt  and  sugar  ;  and  when  she 
arose  in  the  morning  a  sleigh  stood  at  the  gate  to  gratify  her 
whim. 


A   SUMMEU   8LEIGII-IUUE. 


It  is  said  that  the  couple  were  privately  married  in  1SC5, 
soon  after  the  death  of  the  queen,  Maria  Theresa  j  but  she 
was  never  publicly  acknowledged  by  him. 

We  wandered  at  evening  through  the  parks  and  pleasure 
grounds  of  the  palace.  Everything  seemed  laid  out  on  a 
gigantic  scale.    The  trees  were  trained  into  fantastic  shapes ; 


i^ 


OUIi  FIRST  NIGHT  IX  LONDON.  439 

ruined  columns  ■were  standing  here  and  there ;  and  statue- 
lined  avenues  stretched  away  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach. 
All  seemed  a  gorgeous  dream  ;  and  as  we  halted  on  the  brink 
of  a  lake,  the  moon,  emerging  from  behind  the  clouds,  re- 
vealed to  us  what  appeared  to  be  a  mythological  being  in  a 
chariot  drawn  by  floundering  steeds  rising  from  the  water. 

Versailles  was  devastated  by  the  revolutionists  in  1792  ; 
but  Louis  Philippe  restored  its  splendors,  and  concentrated 
there  many  illustrations  of  the  history  of  his  country. 
Paintings,  sculptures,  and  other  works  of  art  now  flU  the 
splendid  halls  of  the  noble  palace. 

As  we  rode  through  the  country  on  our  way  to  the  Eng- 
lish Channel,  we  saw  many  traces  of  the  late  war  ;  and  the 
greater  number  of  Momen  than  men  working  in  the  fields, 
told  of  absent  husbands  and  sons.  But  if  success  in  raising' 
beets  was  an  indication  of  prosperity,  they  were  a  prosper- 
ous people.  Immense  piles  of  these  vegetables,  hundreds 
of  feet  long  and  twenty  or  more  high,  were  frequently  to 
be  seen  along  the  road.  They  were  to  be  used  in  the  man- 
ufacture of  sugnr. 

We  saw  the  artificial  embankments  which  had  reclaimed 
many  homesteads  from  the  dominion  of  the  sea.  Down 
the  net-work  of  narrow  canals  the  peasants  paddled  boats, 
gathering  their  farm  produce.  Some  were  homeward 
bound  with  loads,  while  others  were  going  to  the  nearest 
village  to  exchange  their  vegetables  for  family  supplies. 
These  Holland  canoes,  though  less  fanciful,  seemed  as  use- 
ful and  indispensable  as  the  gondolas  which  I  had  seen 
shooting  like  arrows  along  the  watery  streets  of  Venice,  or 
silently  floating  amid  her  anchored  palaces. 

*  *  *  *  *  * 

We  didn't  sleep  much  the  first  night  we  were  in  London, 
as  every  two  or  three  minutes  a  train  of  cars  whizzed 
beneath  the  foundation  of  our  hotel.  When  1  did  doze,  it 
was  to  dream  of  St.  Paul's;  and  as  the  next  da}'  was  Sun- 
day we  thought  it  was  a  favorable  time  to  visit  this  great 


4:4:0  ST.  PAUL'S  AND  WESTMINSTER  ABBEY. 

cathedral,   which  is  worthy  of  the  first  place  among  the 
edifices  of  Protestant  Christendom. 

On  inquiring  the  way  thither,  we  were  advised  to  take 
the  underground  railroad.  Victoria  Station  was  close  to 
our  hotel,  and  we  were  soon  shooting  along  beneath  palaces 
and  hovels,  stopping  at  numerous  stations  and  starting  again 
with  amazing  rapidity.  After  going  three  or  four  miles  we 
left  the  regions  of  darkness,  and  took  our  place  among  the 
worshipers  of  God  in  the  cathedral ;  but  wo  were  more 
interested  in  the  building  and  its  monuments  than  we  were 
in  the  ofiiciating  clergymen. 

Among  the  renowned  personages  buried  in  this  cathe- 
dral are  Wellington,  England's  greatest  soldier  ;  and  the 
naval  hero  Kelson,  who,  just  before  the  battle  at  Trafalgar, 
said  to  an  ofiicer,  "  Now  for  a  peerage  or  Westminster 
Abbey."  There  are  monuments  to  Sir  John  Moore,  Lord 
Cornwallis,  Bishop  Heber,  and  many  others  who  have 
reflected  glory  on  the  British  Empire  by  their  virtues, 
heroism,  and  achievements  at  home  and  abroad. 

Later  in  the  day  we  visited  that  mausoleum  of  departed 
greatness,  Westminster  Abbey.  To  rest  at  last  in  this 
sacred  spot  has  been  the  highest  ambition  of  many  a  British 
worthv,  and  England  can  show  no  o-reater  honor  to  the 
memory  of  any  one  than  to  bury  him  there.  The  place 
abounds  in  all  kinds  of  monuments,  many  of  which  are 
beautiful  works  of  art.  The  pavements,  over  which  hun- 
dreds of  people  were  passing,  were  carved  with  the  names 
of  the  dead ;  marble  slabs  represented  the  reposing  forms 
of  the  kings  and  queens  of  the  Middle  Ages,  and  along  the 
walls,  in  the  aisles  and  transepts  and  chapels,  and  every- 
where around,  were  tombs,  tablets,  statues  and  inscriptions. 

In  the  "Poet's  Corner,"  the  busts  of  Milton,  Shakspeare, 
Pope,  Dryden,  and  others,  looked  down  upon  us  from 
niches  in  the  wall  bearing  epitaphs  written  in  Latin  and 
old  English,  which  we  found  very  difficult  to  read.  Be- 
neath the  seats  were  the  resting  places  of  others  whose 
names  are  familiar  to  the  world ;  and  while  standing  on 


AT  THE  TABEHNACLE. 


441 


one  stone,  we  read  upon  it  tlie  name  of  Charles  Dickens. 
Time  softens  envy ;  and  rivals  in  wit,  in  literature,  in  the- 
ology, in  beauty,  in  poNver,  and  in  roj'alty,  sleep  here  peace- 
fully, side  by  side. 

In  the  evening  we  went  to  hear  Spurgeon,  the  eminent 
Baptist  divine,  who  justly  ranks  among  the  most  eloquent 
preachers  of  the  age  ;  and  that  he  is  one  of  the  most  popu- 
lar of  them,  no  one  can  doubt  who  goes  into  the  neighbor- 
hood of  his  church  (called  the  Tabernacle),  while  his  con- 
gregation arc  assembling.  Everybody  then  in  the  streets 
seems  attracted  to  the  same  common  center,  and  everybody 
seems  to  be  in  a  hurry. 


GOIN(}   TO  HEAR  SPURGEON. 


Although  we  arrived  early,  vast  crowds  of  people  were 
already  waiting  in  the  damp  streets  ;  and  when  the  iron 
gates  were  thrown  open,  the  front  yard,  wide  steps,  and  ca- 
pacious portico  were  speedily  filled.  We  succeeded  in  get- 
ting a  position  at  the  front,  Avhere  we  were  pressed  against 
one  of  the  doors  b}'  the  throng  behind  us.  In  this  uncom- 
fortable place  we  were  kept  for  what  seemed  an  hour,  but 
amused  ourselves  bv  listening  to  the   noise  made  within 


44:2  TRAFALGAR  SQUARE. 

by  the  pew-bolders,  as  they  entered  by  private  doors  and 
called  out  the  numbers  of  their  scats  to  the  ushers. 

At  last  the  key  turned,  the  door  opened,  and  we  were  at 
once  shot  far  up  the  main  aisle  by  the  advancing  throng. 
We  secured  seats  on  a  vast  elevated  platform,  below  an- 
other platform  upon  which  the  preacher  stood,  and  where 
we  liad  a  good  view  of  him  during  the  service.  Every 
seat  in  the  building  seemed  full,  but  still  people  flocked 
in  by  hundreds. 

The  singing,  in  which  Spurgeon  joined,  was  truly  won- 
derful, and  the  strains  poured  down  from  the  lofty  galleries 
like  the  voice  of  many  thunders.  Then  followed  a  fervent 
prayer,  in  which  the  supplicant  seemed  to  plead  and  argue 
as  if  fiice  to  face  with  his  Maker.  The  sermon  was  listened 
to  with  profound  attention,  and  could  be  heard  distinctly 
in  the  remotest  corners  of  the  vast  room.  The  vehement 
eloquence  and  serene  faith  of  the  speaker  seemed  to  carry 
the  audience  along  as  willing  captives  ;  and  his  pathos  and 
good  humor  provoked  alternately  smiles  and  tears. 

London  is  well  provided  with  public  parks,  gardens, 
and  pleasure-grounds,  into  which  the  crowded  streets  pour 
out  their  throngs  to  enjoy  a  new  life,  and  gather  health 
and  recreation.  One  of  the  largest  in  the  city  is  Hyde 
Park ;  and  we  here  saw  a  great  many  people  skating  on 
the  river  within  it.  At  the  ZooloHcal  Gardens,  in  Regent's 
Park,  we  saw  specimens  of  every  animal,  bird  and  reptile 
which  we  were  acquainted  with,  and  a  good  many  others. 

Trafalgar  Square  is  one  of  the  finest  squares  to  be  found 
anywhere.  On  one  side  of  it  is  the  National  Gallery  of 
Art,  where  we  saw  the  largest  collection  of  paintings  in 
England.  This  is  a  free  gallery,  and  it  is  one  of  the 
most  frequented  places  in  London.  In  the  square,  opposite 
this  edifice,  is  Kelson's  Monument — an  imposing  and  very 
handsome    column,   surmounted   by   a   figure   of    Nelson. 

The  Crystal  Palace  is  about  ten  miles  away  from  the 
city,  but  so  easily  accessable  by  steam  cars  that  it  is  very 
popular  as  a  rural  resort.  The 'grounds  are  magnificent; 
and  the  edifice,  made  entirely  of  glass  and  iron,  is  perhaps 


THE  CRYSTAL  PALACE. 


443 


the  most  wonderful  structure  in  the  world.  Beneath  its 
elougcated  dome,  Natiire  finds  at  all  seasons  of  the  year  a 
tropical  home.  Fountains 
play  ;  broad  leaves,  between 
which  dart  golden  fish,  float 
upon  the  surface  of  lakes; 
birds  of  rich  plumage  perch 
upon  branches  ;  vines  cling 
to  trees  and  to  rocks,  among 
Avhich  barbarous  natives  of 
various  climes,  as  natural  as 
life,  spear  the  springing 
tiger  ;  while  upon  the  sandy 
desert,  Arabs  spread  their 
tents  and  rest  their  cjynels. 
Under  the  2;lassv  wine's  of 
the  Palace  are  ancient  build- 
in  irs  adorned  with  statues  as 
in  the  days  of  their  glorv  ; 
and  thousands  of  ffav  and  nelson's  siu.NUiiEM,  ikafalg.-.u  .-(jlaki; 
happy  visitors  wander  through  the  courts  and  temples  of 
Egypt,  Greece,  Tiome,  and  other  countries,  as  if  treading 
the  rich  apartments  of  proud  kings. 

We  were  astonished  at  the  number  of  beir2;ars  that  we 
met  with  in  London.  They  seemed  to  be  of  every  age  and 
in  every  condition  of  beggary — objects  of  pity  that  rent  our 
hearts.  Puny  arms  were  held  out  to  ask  alms,  or  else  to 
implore  us  to  purchase  some  trifle  or  other,  which  was  only 
offered  as  an  excuse  for  begging.  One  poor  thing,  a  little 
girl  of  thirteen,  perhaps,  followed  us  the  whole  length  of 
the  Houses  of  Parliament,  beseechino-  us  for  God's  sake  to 
give  her  a  trifle,  for  her  mother  was  sick  and  had  not  tasted 
food  for  two  days.  Anc^ther  girl,  a  young  woman  in  fact, 
entreated  us,  with  a  cheerful  face,  to  buy  a  little  bunch  of 
flowers.  She  told  us  how  grateful  she  would  be,  and  even 
promised  to  pray  for  us ;  but  when  she  finally  despaired 
of  effecting  a  sale,  she  actually  turned  awny  and  cried  bit- 
27^ 


U4: 


LONDON  BEGGARS. 


terlj.     We  couldn't  stand  that ;  so  we  paid  her  the  price 
of  the  flowers  and  then  made  her  a  present  of  tliera. 

But  Heaven  only  knows  when  tears  are  shed  in  earnest ; 
for  these  beggars  study  their  profession,  like  actors  on  the 
the  stage,  and  know  well  every  way  to  move  the  hearts  of 
men.  They  strip  off  their  shoes,  and  walk  in  the  middle 
of  the  damp  freezing  streets,  singing  mournful  songs.  A 
blind  couple  will  borrow  a  family  of  deformed  children, 
and  train  themselves  as  a  band  of  musicians.  Such  a  party 
played  near  our  window  at  dead  of  every  night  for  two  or 
three  weeks  before  Christmas,  and  during  the  holidays. 
fi 


'TUEUE  snE  SAT  AS  USUAL. 


Day  after  day  and  month  after  month,  thousands  of 
street-sweepers  stand  at  their  respective  crossings,  using 
their  brooms  dexterously  when  they  see  a  stylish  party  ap- 
proaching, and  holding  out  their  hands  for  a  reward  ;  and 
thousands  of  other  persons  have  sittings  where  each  one 
constantly  exhibits  a  basket  of  fruit.  Were  1  to  return  to 
London,!  should  expect  to  see  a  beautiful  girl,  with  one  leg 


THE  LORD  MAYOR'S  SHOW.  44,5 

and  a  few  sticks  of  cand}*,  still  sittinc^  on  a  little  box  before 
the  Queen's  gate  ;  ^vllicll  gate,  by  the  way,  "we  once  mis- 
took in  the  fog  for  the  entrance  to  St.  James  Park — finding 
out  our  mistake  when  halted,  almost  at  the  steps  of  the  palace, 
by  the  bayonet  of  a  guard  gorgeously  arrayed  in  red  coat 
and  bear-skin  cap.  By  another  mansion  I  should  look  for 
a  woman  with  two  children — one  in  her  arms — sitting  on 
the  stone  step.  When  I  last  passed  the  place,  it  was  on  a 
cold  night  just  after  the  clock  in  the  tower  had  struck  ten ; 
but  there  she  sat  as  usual,  with  bare  arm  projecting  from  a 
thin  shawl  which  partially  covered  her  shivering  children. 
I  still  seem  to  see  the  pallid  hand  holding  out  a  penny 
match-box,  and  to  hear  her  piteous  words  of  appeal.  Ko  ; 
if  I  returned  I  should  not  expect  to  find  her  where  I  last 
saw  her,  but  in  her  grave. 

But  notwithstanding  the  appearance  of  penury  and 
misery  which  are  seen  so  often  on  the  streets  of  London, 
far  more  touching  scenes  of  woe  and  wretchedness  could 
doubtless  be  found  in  the  hovels  which  line  both  sides  of 
many  of  the  squalid  lanes,  courts  and  by-ways  of  the  city, 
where  poverty-stricken  families  who  have  not  lost  the  sense 
of  shame  find  a  retreat  from  the  sight  of  the  world. 

One  day,  with  a  heavy  heart  and  a  light  pocketbook,  (for 
the  expected  remittance  had  not  arrived,)  I  left  the  post- 
office  and  wandered  down  towards  the  river  to  see  the 
"  Lord  Mayor's  Show,"  as  the  newsboys,  running  about 
with  long  pictorial  programmes  of  the  procession  stream- 
ing in  the  air,  called  it.  For  two  miles  or  more  the 
magnificent  stone  embankment,  fifty  feet  Avidc,  with  all  the 
roads  leading  to  it,  was  densely  packed  with  people,  wait- 
ing for  the  newly-elected  mayor  and  his  endless  retinue  to 
pass  by,  on  their  way  from  the  Mansion  House  to  the  scene 
of  inauguration  at  "Westminster  Abbey. 

Before  long  I  found  myself  among  a  jolly  set  of  rough 
fellows  Mho,  devoid  of  care,  were  boxing,  knocking  oif 
hats,  and  occasionally  throwing  a  dethroned  tile  over  the 
heads  of  the  crowd  into  the  river.     In  the  midst  of  this 


44:6 


CALEB  IN  BAD  COMPANV. 


sport,  one  of  them  suddenly  cried  out  "  Spurgcon  ;  "  and 
though  I  tried  to  seem  unconscious  of  the  fact,  I  became 
aware  tliat  the  remark  referred  to  me.  Again  a  wide 
moutli  belloM-ed  out  "  Spurgeon  ; "  another  one,  "  Apostolic 
Spurgeon ; "  and  I  was  somewhat  frightened  to  find  that 
wherever  I  turned,  hundreds  of  eyes  were  staring  upon  me. 
I  was  reminded  of  a  drove  of  Texan  cattle,  which,  with 
wild  curiosity,  encircle  a  lonely  footman,  bellow,  and  toss 
their  heads,  until  one  makes  a  pass  at  him  and  the  rest 
trample  him  down. 


I 


AMONG   THE   HOCGIIS. 


At  length  one  of  the  fellows  was  shoved  against  me ; 
tben  another,  and  another,  until  the  pressure  was  greater 
than  my  temper  could  bear.  Fear  left  me.  Giving  my 
fists  full  play  square  in  their  faces,  I  started  hastily  forward, 
and  was  soon  met  by  policemen  coming  to  my  rescue,  who 
saved  the  beggarly  rascals  from  the  disgrace  of  rifling  my 
empty  pockets. 


THE  BRITISH  MUSEUM.  44.7 

Wo  spent  considerable  time  in  the  British  Mufeum, 
which  is  one  of  the  chief  attractions  of  London.  Here,  for 
more  than  a  century,  have  been  accumulating  a  vast  numl>er 
of  antiquities  and  curiosities,  and  the  collection  is  probably 
unequaled  in  interest  and  value  by  any  in  the  world.  A 
library  of  nearly  a  million  books,  printed  in  vaiicnis  lan- 
guages and  treating  of  every  imaginable  subject,  constitutes 
one  department  of  the  museum.  Tlicre  is  also  a  reading- 
room  which  will  accommodate  three  hundred  readers  at  a 
time. 

We  saw  at  the  museum,  arrow-heads  of  flint  and  axes  of 
stone  which  had  been  discovered  in  various  parts  of  Eng- 
land;  and  could  trace  how  the  son  improved  upon  the 
work  of  his  father  in  the  manufacture  of  spears,  arrows, 
and  other  implements  of  war.  We  could  see  where  bronze 
came  into  use,  -where  iron,  where  steel.  We  could  see 
when  the  Romans  came  into  Britain,  and  could  trace  the 
new  ideas  which  they  suggested.  We  could  follow  the  race 
up  through  its  various  improvements,  from  the  time  when 
London  was  but  a  collection  of  British  wigwams,  and  paint- 
ed savages  paddled  in  the  river  where  now  fl(jated  the  Great 
Eastern,  just  returned  from  laying  a  cable  in  Oriental  waters. 

We  also  saw  the  various  pieces  of  broken  stone  covered 
with  strange-looking  letters,  which,  on  being  put  together 
and  deciphered,  proved  to  be  an  Assyrian  account  of  the 
deluge.  These  stones  had  been  exhumed  from  the  palace 
of  one  of  the  last  potentates  of  the  doomed  city  of  Nineveh. 
In  this  palace  the  monarch  could  walk  from  hall  to  hall  and 
from  chamber  to  chamber,  and  read  from  inscriptions  on  the 
vast  slabs  of  alabaster  which  lined  the  walls,  the  history  of 
his  country ;  while  representations  of  battles,  sieges,  and 
pursuits  of  enemies,  carved  and  painted  on  stone,  with 
eagle-headed  figures,  winged  lions  and  flying  bulls,  every- 
where met  his  gaze.  Subsequently  the  province  of  Baby- 
lon revolted  and  marched  upon  Nineveh  ;  the  waters  of  the 
Tigris  were  turned  through  the  city  ;  the  king  in  despair 
killed  himself  after  setting  fire  to  his  palace,  the  apart- 


4AS 


THE  NIMROD  PALACE. 


ments  of  wliicli  were  filled  witli  the  falling  ruins.  Excava- 
tors have  recently  brought  again  to  light  the  long-hidden 
stones,  slabs,  and  statues,  and  many  of  them  have  been 
placed  in  this  museum. 

In  the  Nimrod  palace  I  took  an  interest  in  the  manner  in 
which  one  of  the  royal  descendants  of  the  mighty  hunter 
was  showering  his  arrows  upon  the  head  and  breast  of  a 
roaring  lion  which  was  endeavoring  to  show  that  turn  about 
was  fair  play.  It  would  have  been  an  easy  matter,  apparent- 
ly, for  the  hunter's  bearded  attendants  to  have  broken  ranks 
and  taken  a  hand ;  but  they  believed  in  keeping  step  in 
those  days.  It  is  a  wonder  that  the  lion  did  not  upset  the 
chariot  and  spill  out  the  king ;  but  he  did  not,  for  the  next 
slab  represents  the  hunter  at  home,  with  beardless  eunuchs 
around  him  oflering  cups  of  beverage,  and  a  dead  lion  at 
his  feet. 


CIIAPTEll  XLIX. 
HOMEWARD  BOCND. 

"TTTE  were  now  about  to  part.  Caleb  was  resolved  to 
T  T  remain  in  London  a  few  weel<s  longer,  while  I  waa 
just  as  determined  to  return  to  America  without  delay.  So 
without  any  pulling  of  hair,  or  similar  demonstration,  I  bade 
him  o-ooJ-bye,  and  was  soon  on  a  railroad  train  bound  for 
Liverpool,  where  I  intended  to  take  a  steamer  for  New- 
York.  Although  it  was  mid-winter  the  hills  and  valleys 
were  still  green,  but  the  everlasting  fog  was  hovering 
over  all. 

I  took  passage  by  a  steamer  of  the  Inman  line,  and  with 
the  other  cal/in  passengers  was  conveyed  to  the  vessel,  which 
was  anchored  a  short  distance  from  the  shore,  in  a  small 
steamboat.  The  steerage  passengers,  with  their  bedding, 
tin  ware,  and  other  traps  for  housekeeping  purposes  during 
the  voyage,  had  previonsly  been  taken  on  board.  They 
were  a  motley-looking  crowd,  setting  out  to  seek  their  for- 
tunes in  the  western  world.  There  was  a  little  delay  in 
starting,  and  I  became  impatient  even  to  restlessness  till 
finally  the  agitation  of  the  water  showed  that  the  great 
screw  at  the  stern,  whose  gigantic  force  was  to  propel  ua 
across  the  ocean,  had  begun  to  move. 

AVhen  one  day  out  from  Liverpool  we  stopped  at  Queens- 
town,  a  port  at  the  southern  extremity  of  Ireland,  to  take 
on  board  some  more  steerage  passengers — men,  women,  and 
children.  They  were  a  jolly  and  noisy  set,  and  some  of  the 
men  seemed  intoxicated,  or  partially  so.  The  women  scolded, 
the  children  squalled,  the  men  laughed  and  joked,  tin  dishes 


450 


JOLLY  EMIGRANTS. 


clattered,  and  all  was  confusion.  This  confusion  \ras  increased 
wlien  it  \vas  found  that  some  of  them  must  go  into  the  lower 
Bteerage — a  dark  apartment  below  the  surface  of  the  water 
— as  the  upper  one  already  contained  as  many  passengers  as 
it  could  accommodate  comfortably,  or  even  uncomfortably. 
Some  of  the  women  remonstrated,  till  they  found  it  was  of 


GOING    BELOW. 


no  nse  doing  so^  and  that  there  was  no  other  place  where 
they  could  be  stowed  away. 

One  couple — lately  married,  I  judged — were  particularly 
conspicuous  among  the  new-comers — the  man  by  liis  willing- 
ness to  take  up  his  abode  below,  and  his  wife  by  her  obsti- 
nacy about  doing  so.  Finally,  however,  she  yielded  to  his 
solicitations,  picked  up  her  bedding,  and  tripped  it  lightly 


MEAL-TIME  IX  THE  STEERAGE.  45 1 

down  the  stairs.  Her  tipsy  young  husband,  \vilh  his  hands 
full  of  tin  ware  and  frying  ])ans,  and  with  other  articles  of 
the  same  culinary  nature  tied  tc^ij-ether  and  struni:-  over  his 
shoulder,  started  to  follow  her,  singing  a  lively  refrain  and 
keeping  time  thereto  with  dancing  feet.  At  the  top  of  the 
steps  he  stumbled,  lost  his  balance,  and  went  tumbling  down, 
head  first,  while  the  din  of  his  tin  wares  rose  above  the 
screams  of  his  astonished  better  half.  AVe  all  thought  that 
he  was  killed  or  seriously  damaged,  but  he  jumped  quickly 
np  and  began  dancing  again  as  if  nothing  unusual  had 
happened. 

I  never  ventured  to  go  into  the  lower  apartment  occupied 
by  these  emigrants,  but  sometimes  visited  their  more  desira- 
ble quarters  above.  Here,  at  meal-time,  the  passengers  rang- 
ed themselves  in  rows,  and  held  out  their  tin  cups  to  receive 
the  soup  or  gruel  which  the  stewards  dipped  out  to  each 
from  an  immense  can  dragged  along  the  flour;  or  they  held 
out. their  tin  plates  and  hands  for  more  solid  rations  in  the 
shape  of  meat  and  biscuits,  which  were  distributed  from  large 
pans  and  baskets.  There  was  at  times  considerable  of  a  strife 
for  the  places  near  the  head  of  the  table  (figuratively  speak- 
ing,) where  the  stewards  would  begin  their  dispensations  of 
good  things  to  the  hungry  crowd.  Occasionally  a  boy,  after 
having  been  served  at  the  upper  end  of  the  line,  would 
swallow  his  hot  gruel,  stick  his  biscuit  in  his  pocket,  and  slip 
slyly  down  to  the  lower  end,  there  to  receive  a  second  allow- 
ance. Sometimes  however  the  stewards  would  detect  the 
trick,  and  then  the  rogue  would  receive  a  biscuit  aimed  at 
his  head. 

On  the  whole  these  emigrants  seemed,  at  the  start,  to  enjoy 
their  voyage  much  better  than  the  cabin  passengers  did.  On 
some  evenings  they  sang  hymns  or  love-ditties,  and  on  others 
they  danced  merrily  to  the  music  of  a  fiddle.  But  after- 
wards, during  a  fearful  and  protracted  storm,  with  all  the 
port-holes  and  sky-lights  closed  to  keep  out  the  water  which 
came  sweeping  over  the  vessel,  these  steerage  passengers  must 
have   suffered   terribly  in  their   close  quarters.     Many,    no 


452 


A  STORM  OX  THE  ATLANTIC. 


donbt,  wished  sincerely  that  thej  had  been  better  contented 
at  home. 

For  a  week  the  weather  had  been  fine  for  the  time  of  year, 
and  we  were  anticipating  a  quick  and  smooth  voyage.  But 
on  the  seventh  day  the  wind  began  to  rise,  and  it  increased 
during  the  night,  causing  the  vessel  to  roll  and  toss  con- 
siderably. Next  morning  it  blew  harder,  and  small  waves 
were  occasionally  dashed  over  the  deck.  Only  a  few  of  the 
boldest  passngeers  ventured  out,  and  as  the  storm  increased 
even  tliey  were  glad  to  seek  again  the  shelter  below,  but 
even  there  the  water  found  its  way.     Although  the  sky-lights 


A    DANCE    IX    THE    STEEUAGK. 


of  the  upper  deck  were  closed,  the  water  at  times  poured  in 
torrents  through  them  into  the  cabin  below,  and  some  of  the 
passengers  tried  to  escape  from  it  by  jutnping  upon  the 
settees.  Duriiiij  the  niorht  the  vessel  labored  heavily,  and 
every  timber  in  her  seemed  to  groan  and  creak. 

I  shall  never  forget  the  scene  which  I  peeped  out  upon  the 
next  morning  through  the  boxed-up  door.  The  wind  was 
blowing  liarder  than  ever,  and  almost  took  away  my  breath. 
The  salt  vapors,  like  a  driving  mist,  blinded  me.     The  v>'aves 


A  COMPLIMENT  TO  THE  PASSENGERS.  453 

were  chasing  each  other  in  tlie  wildest  fury.  The  steamer 
would  rise  apparently  mountain  high  and  then  dive  headlong 
down  the  waves  as  if  nothing  could  prevent  her  from  going 
to  the  bottom.  Not  infrequently  the  prow  struck  under  a 
great  wave,  the  vessel  trembled  as  if  she  had  run  on  to  a 
rock,  and  immediately  the  waters  above  came  thundering  over 
her  entire  length.  All  day  long  the  situation  M'as,  to  lands- 
men at  least,  truly  alarming. 

Night  came  on  again  and  darkness  spread  her  black  wings 
over  the  chaos  of  waters,  but  brought  no  change  for  the  bet- 
ter. Towards  midnight  a  fearful  wave  crashed  in  the  bul- 
warks, and  the  waters  came  pouring  in,  causing  great  conster- 
nation among  the  passengers.  Almost  immediately  afterward 
the  steamer's  whistle  was  sounded,  and  this  fresh  cause  for 
alarm  brought  out  of  their  bunks  all  of  the  passengers  who 
were  not  too  sea-sick  to  care  much  whether  we  sunk  or  not. 
One  man  ran  up  and  down  the  cabin,  crying,  "We  are  lost! 
we  are  lost ! "  Another  one,  who  was  a  cripple,  hopped  about 
in  a  way  that  would  have  been  most  laugliable  at  any  other 
time.  A  third  person,  who  I  judged  liad  rather  a  poor  opin- 
ion of  his  fellow  passengers,  startled  us  all  by  ejaculating,  "We 

are  all  going  to  h- ^".     For  my  own  part,  I  felt  that  I  M'ould 

give  a  small  fortune  to  be  put  safely  ashore. 

We  soon  learned  however  that  no  serious  damaere  had  been 
received ;  and  that  the  whistling  was  to  guard  against  collision 
with  other  vessels,  as  we  were  in  dense  fogs  off  the  coast  of 
Newfoundland. 

The  long  night  passed  slowly  away,  and  morning  came  at 
last.  During  the  day  the  storm  slightly  abated,  and  on  the 
succeeding  day  its  fury  was  over,  though  the  waves  were 
still  runnim;  hio;h. 

Another  morning  dawned,  and  land  was  in  sight  at  last. 
The  passengers  assembled  on  deck,  and  as  they  gazed 

"On  old  Long  Island's  sea  girt  shore," 
many  a  face  which  had  been  pallid  through  the  voyage,  bright- 
ened up  with  joy — many  a  terror-stricken  heart  warmed  to 
life  again. 


454:  OUR  GREAT  ilETROrOLIS. 

As  M-e  steamed  up  the  noble  harbor  of  New  York,  Castle 
Garden,  the  spire  of  Trinity  Church,  the  Xorth  and  East  Eiv- 
ers  with  the  ferry  boats  sliooting  across  them — everything  in 
fact  looked  wonderfully  familiar,  though  I  had  visited  Xew 
York  City  but  once  before.  I  was  greatly  elated,  and  felt  at 
home  again  in  my  native  land,  although  still  separated  by 
many  hundred  miles  from  the  friends  who  awaited  me  far  be- 
yond the  Mississippi. 

I  remained  in  New  York  only  a  short  time,  but  saw  enough 
of  lier  stately  buildings,  fine  parks,  thronged  streets,  shipping 
and  commercial  bustle,  to  convince  me  that  Americans  have 
no  reason  to  be  ashamed  of  their  meti-opolis — that  even 
France  and  England  might  be  proud  of  such  a  city.  Though 
she  has  not  as  many  fine  streets  as  Paris,  her  commercial  im- 
portance  is  proportionally  greater ;  and  though  her  population 
is  small  compared  with  that  of  London,  her  natural  location 
is  better  and  her  surrouudino-s  more  attractive. 

From  New  York  I  went  to  Washington,  that  city  of  job- 
bery and  corruption,  and  arrived  just  in  time  to  attend  the 
President's  levee.  Early  in  the  evening  people  by  the 
thousands — aristocrats  in  coaches  and  plebians  on  foot, 
honest  men  and  rogues — had  begun  to  assemble  at  the  "White 
House.  1  had  been  told  that  there  was  considerable  crowd- 
ing on  these  occasions,  but  had  not  the  slightest  idea  of  the 
extent  it  was  indulged  in  till  I  experienced  it  myself.  I 
would  not  be  knocked  about  again  as  I  was  that  evening  for 
the  privilege  of  shaking  hands  with  all  the  presidents  in  the 
world. 

Policemen  were  stationed  at  the  outside  and  inside  doors 
to  check  the  surging  crowds,  and  succeeded  to  some  extent 
in  doinc:  so.  Occasionally  some  one  of  the  ladies  ahead  of 
me  would  scream  out,  and  though  I  at  first  supposed  they 
were  merely  taking  advantage  of  a  good  opportunity  to  fall 
into  friendly  arms,  I  thought  difi'erently  afterward  when  I 
reached  the  thickest  of  the  throng  and  was  myself  more  than 
half  suffocated. 


AT  THE  PRESIDENT'S  LEYEE. 


455 


At  last  I  emerged  into  the  charmed  circle  where  stood  the 
President  and  his  wife,  who  looked  at  me  so  pleasantly  that 
I  thought  they  mistook  me  for  some  old  friend.  I  was 
then  introduced,  and  shook  hands  with  each.  As  1  was  leav- 
ing them,  with  the  idea  that  they  felt  honored  by  my  pres- 
ence, I  discovered  that  a  benev^olent-looking  but  very  home- 


A    PRESIDENT    AND    PRESIDENT-MAKER. 


ly  negro  was  the  next  visitor  to  be  presented  ;  and  from  his 
hesitating  steps  it  was  evident  that  he  was  mn^h  embarrassed. 
But  the  President  smilingly  reached  out  his  hand  to  Iwm, 
and,  as  far  as  I  could  judge,  received  him  as  cordially  as  he 
had  me. 

Passing  on  through  elegant  apartments  and  halls  I  at 
length  reached  the  open  air.  Visitors  were  still  flocking  in 
by  hundreds;  and  I  could  but  feel  pity  for  the  occupants  of 
the  White  House  who  were  thus  undergoing  one  of  the  pen- 
alties of  their  exalted  condition.  I  went  away  thankful  that 
I  was  but  a  private  citizen,  and  formed  a  resolution  never 
to  attend  another  president's  levee,  if  I  could  avoid  it. 


45G 


HOME  AGAIN ! 


From  "Washington,  I  proceeded  leisurely  westward,  visiting 
the  Mammoth  Cave  in  Kentucky,  and  other  places  of  interest. 
I  tarried  for  a  few  days  at  Cincinnati,  Chicago,  and  St.  Louis, 
and  reached  my  home  about  the  middle  of  May.  Caleb  join- 
ed me  in  due  time,  coming  by  the  way  of  Canada ;  and  un- 
der the  same  spreading  apple-tree  where  we  had  originally 
planned  our  travels,  we  recounted  to  interested  and  sympa- 
thizing friends   many  stories  of  the  people  we  had  met  ii? 

OUli   WESTWARD    FLIGHT   AHOUND    THE   WOKLD. 


SOME    OF    THE    PEOPLE  WE    HAD    MET. 


Til©  Columbmzi  Hools  Cozsipan^^ 

OP 

Hi^i^TiT-oi^nD,  coisrisr-, 

^r*?  Publishers  of  J^h'sf- Class,  Standai'd,  Illustrated  Works, 
it'liich  are  sold  2>y  Subscription  Oiily. 

They  Tvill  bring  out  only  works  of  liigli  moral  tone,  rare 
literary  merit,  and  positive  and  permanent  value — works, 
which  from  their  intrinsic  and  sterling  worth,  will  he  welcomed 
to  every  Home  and  Fireside  in  the  Country,  and  he  a  credit  to 
the  Canvassers  who  introduce  them. 

As  their  plan  of  conducting  business  enal)les  them  to  make 
very  large  sales  of  every  work,  they  supply  Agents  at  a  very 
small  advance  from  actual  cost,  (giving  them  nearly  all  the 
profits,)  thus  ensuring  to  energetic  men  and  women  large  pay  for 
their  services.  The  established  retail  prices  are  always  lower 
than  books  of  equal  cost  and  character  are  sold  for  at  bookstores. 

In  mechanical  execution  their  publications  will  always  be  first- 
class — well  printed  on  good  paper,  and  tastefully  and  substan- 
tially bound.  Publishing  but  a  limited  number  of  books,  yearly, 
they  are  enabled  to  give  particular  attention  to  their  manufac- 
ture, and  to  expend  money  freely  in  illustrating  them.  Sub- 
scribers for  their  works  can  always  depend  on  receiving  what 
they  contract  for. 

to  sell  these  Books  in  every  town  in  the  United  States. 

Agents  for  good  books  are  a  lasting  benefit  in  any  com- 
munity, and  their  calling  is  a  nol)le  one.  To  men  and  women 
wishing  honorable,  pleasant  and  lucrative  employment  we  oft'er 
great  inducements.  Young  men  who  engage  in  this  business 
will  gain  a  knowledge  of  the  country,  and  of  men  and  things 
which  will  be  of  great  benefit  to  them. 

Agents  who  canvass  for  our  Works  in  the  Western  and  South- 
ern sections  of  the  country,  will  be  supplied  with  books  from 
our  offices   at  the  West        and  South. 

Ch'culars  with  full  information  are  sent  promptly  to  any  one 
wishing  an  agency.     Address, 

COLUMBIAN  BOOK  COMPANY, 

Hartford,  Conn.,  and  Chicaoo,  Ilu 


JOSN  PA  UL'S  OI*IJ^IO]>f  OF  HIS  BOOK. 

From  the  New  York  Daily  Tribune. 

To  the  Editor  of  The  Tribune. 

Sin :  To  you,  ■who  know  my  modest  nature  well,  it  is  not  necessary  that  I  demonstrate 
how  it  pains  mc  to  find  myself  forced  into  a  personal  mention  which,  to  the  prejudiced 
eye,  may  look  very  much  like  an  intention  to  advertise  the  work  of  my  hands.  But  you, 
who  have  so  often  remarked  upon  my  unwillingness  to  exalt  my  own  horn  (or  blow  it), 
unless  the  public  good  were  to  be  subserved  thereby  (and  it  could  be  done  in  a  way  which 
passed  all  human  ingenuity  to  find  out),  can  give  indignant  denial  to  any  such  suspicion. 
To  the  many  requests  that  I  would  state,  witli  the  weight  which  a  responsible  name  ever 
carries  with  it,  what  sort  of  a  book  mine  is  to  be,  when  it  is  to  be  published,  and  several 
other  particulars  in  regard  to  which  I  am  erroneously  supposed  to  be  well  informed,  I 
long  turned  a  deaf  car.  But  when  His  Illustrious  Majesty  of  Prussia,  King  William, 
politely  requests  that  I  Avill  ease  his  Imperial  mind  on  those  points,  can  I  longer  refuse  ? 
Briefly,  then,  I  will  not  positively  tay  that  my  book  is  the  best  which  the  century  has 
produced.  But  when  I  say  that  no  book  of  early  or  late  date  has  so  forcibly  attracted 
my  attention,  that  in  none  has  my  interest  been  enlisted  to  such  a  degree,  I  trust  that  it 
will  be  believed  that  I  speak  only  the  truth !  Looking  over  it  now,  after  several  very 
careful  readings  previously,  I  do  not  find  one  line  which  even  a  dyer  "could  wish  to 
blot;"  and  certainly  one  could  not  take  away  a  page  without  spoiling  the  Table  of  Con- 
tents—already in  press ;  nor  could  you  add  a  page  without  making  the  book  too  big  to 
bo  carried  round  by  hand ! 

For  there  are  already  684  pages  of  it,  to  say  nothing  about  the  portrait-page  at  the 
beginning— about  which  the  less  said  the  better,  perhaps.  And  all  the  illustrations  are 
full-page— though  as  all  the  pages  are  not  full  of  illustrations,  this  is  not  quite  so  bad  as 
it  might  be. 

As  to  when  the  book  will  be  out,  I  don't  know.  The  compositors  who  should  have 
set  it  up,  stopped  and  sat  themselves  down  instead  to  read,  and  many  of  them  took  the 
copy  home  to  read  to  their  families.  The  consequence  was  an  interesting  "  revival  "  in 
Hartford,  but  a  delay  to  the  book.  However,  along  toward  the  middle  of  this  month,  if 
householders  wish  to  get  out  of  its  way  and  avoid  agents,  they  had  better  leave  the 
country. 

Notwithstanding  what  has  been  said,  it  must  not  be  rashly  concluded  that  it  is,  strictly 
speaking,  a  theological  book.  The  truth  it  contains  is  the  result  of  accident  mostly 
rather  than  of  design.  And  this  perhaps  is  one  reason  why  it  works  on  the  wicked 
human  system  so  powerfully;  I  flatter  myself  that  to  me  belongs  the  credit  of  moving 
upon  sinners  strategically,  and  taking  them  by  surprise.  Before  they  know  that  any 
one  is  gunning  for  them,  you  see  I've  got  'em  where  the  capillary  growth  is  of  mhiimum 
length,  and  the  best  thing  they  can  do  is  lie  still  and  say  nothing  about  it.  And  I  may 
add  that  though  orders  for  my  book  may  not  come  in  from  Sunday  schools  at  once,  I  am 
confident  the  demand  from  that  source  will  never  be  less  than  it  is  at  the  beginning. 

Ladies  will  like  the  book  unquestionably.  With  the  hair-drawn  pencil  of  poetic 
prophecy,  Mr.  Tennyson  foretells  this  when  he  paints  the  Lady  of  Shalott: 

"  But  iQ  her  Webb  sho  still  delights." 
And  I  see  no  reason  why  ladies  should  not  delight  in  my  book,  whether  they  are  given 
merely  to  the  mild  shallott  or  confess  to  an  insane  preference  for  a  more  virulent  form 
of  onion. 

As  I  was  saying,  when  interrupted,  I  cannot  say  exactly  when  the  book  will  be  out. 
However,  I  can  state  positively  that  the  publishers  are  out  already,  and  will  probably  l-o 
out  more  when  the  work  gets  further  along.  But  being  a  wealthy  and  powerful  concern 
—the  Columbian  Book  Company  of  Hartford— I  guess  they'll  manage  to  worry  thCouglu 
I  was  obliged  to  go  to  Hartford  to  avoid  existing  jealousy  and  contentions  among 
our  local  publishers.  Now  that  none  of  them  at  all  has  it,  they  sit  on  their  ragged 
anxieties  with  much  more  of  calm  and  comfort.  And  as  I  was  saying,  as  the  present 
month  wears  along  it  will  daily  become  more  and  more  hazardous  for  any  householder  to 
express  a  wish  to  buy  the  John  Paul  book  in  the  hearing  of  a  man  that  looks  like  a 
uiinister,  for  he  may  be  entertaining  by  that  remark  an  agent  unawares. 

And  now  I  trust  that  King  William  of  Prussia  is  satisticd,  and  that  he  will  instruct  the 
chambermaids  about  the  palace  to  economize  in  the  use  of  Prussian  blue,  so  that  the 
Royal  family  may  be  able  to  buy  a  copy  of  my  book. 

Piespcctfully  yours, 

Jon.v  Paul. 


% 


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AT 

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